Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in Columbus, OH
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the Columbus, OH metro area earn a median $27,650 a year — 11% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $24,380 take-home, or $2,032 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in Columbus, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,155
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,714
- Medicare (1.45%)$401
- Ohio income tax$0
- Take-home pay$24,380
Marginal rate: 10% federal + 0.00% state
Living in Columbus? City residents also pay Columbus’s city income tax — about $691 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $23,689 ($1,974 a month). Choose “Columbus” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay by experience in Columbus, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $23,650 | $11.37 | $21,086 | $1,757 |
| 25th percentile | $26,510 | $12.75 | $23,441 | $1,953 |
| Median (50th) | $27,650 | $13.29 | $24,380 | $2,032 |
| 75th percentile | $33,600 | $16.15 | $29,036 | $2,420 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $39,000 | $18.75 | $33,226 | $2,769 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $27,650 buys in Columbus, OH
Prices in Columbus, OH are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 12% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop's $24,380 take-home pay has the buying power of $25,537 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop jobs are about as common in Columbus, OH as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.94).
Best-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, adjusted for cost of living
Columbus, OH ranks #26 of 37 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, OR | $43,410 | $34,091 | $32,338 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $38,430 | $33,059 | $29,747 |
| 3 | Denver, CO | $36,340 | $30,489 | $28,822 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $35,080 | $29,699 | $28,745 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $39,810 | $33,068 | $28,602 |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,950 | $28,655 | $28,594 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | $31,200 | $26,720 | $28,100 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $36,360 | $30,380 | $27,901 |
| 26 | Columbus, OH | $27,650 | $24,380 | $25,537 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 37 metros →
About the job: hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +3.4% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salaries elsewhere in Ohio
- Cincinnati, OH — $29,350
- Cleveland, OH — $27,060
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in Columbus, OH?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the Columbus, OH metro area is $27,650 a year, or about $13.29 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $26,510 and $33,600.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s take-home pay in Columbus, OH?
On the median $27,650 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $24,380 a year ($2,032 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Columbus, OH a good place to work as a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Pay here is 11% below the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $25,537 would in a typical U.S. city. Columbus, OH ranks #26 of 37 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford rent in Columbus, OH?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Columbus, OH is $1,179 a month ($1,416 for two bedrooms) — 58% of a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Columbus, OH
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $38,100
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $37,790
- Waiter and Waitress — $37,490
- Bartender — $37,000
- Food Preparation Worker — $36,930
- Cooks, Restaurant — $36,590
- Dishwasher — $33,690
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $32,250
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $30,000
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $28,670