Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $36,920 a year — 18% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,899 take-home, or $2,575 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,250
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,289
- Medicare (1.45%)$535
- California income tax$466
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$480
- Take-home pay$30,899
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% state
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 Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,000 | $16.83 | $29,458 | $2,455 |
| 25th percentile | $35,870 | $17.25 | $30,111 | $2,509 |
| Median (50th) | $36,920 | $17.75 | $30,899 | $2,575 |
| 75th percentile | $43,040 | $20.69 | $35,492 | $2,958 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,060 | $22.14 | $37,759 | $3,147 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,920 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop's $30,899 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,208 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 Los Angeles, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.88).
Best-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #12 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 |
| 12 | Los Angeles, CA | $36,920 | $30,899 | $27,208 |
*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 California
- San Francisco, CA — $39,810
- Riverside, CA — $34,830
- San Diego, CA — $36,140
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $36,920 a year, or about $17.75 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,870 and $43,040.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $36,920 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $30,899 a year ($2,575 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $946 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Pay here is 18% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,208 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #12 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 Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 87% 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 Los Angeles, CA
- Chef and Head Cook — $69,990
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $46,970
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $45,400
- Cooks, Restaurant — $44,460
- Cooks, Short Order — $43,680
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $42,110
- Food Preparation Worker — $39,770
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $38,350
- Cooks, Fast Food — $38,000
- Dishwasher — $37,580
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — $36,810
- Waiter and Waitress — $35,850