Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in San Francisco, CA
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $39,810 a year — 28% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $33,068 take-home, or $2,756 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in San Francisco, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,597
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,468
- Medicare (1.45%)$577
- California income tax$582
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$518
- Take-home pay$33,068
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 San Francisco, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $38,070 | $18.30 | $31,762 | $2,647 |
| 25th percentile | $39,060 | $18.78 | $32,505 | $2,709 |
| Median (50th) | $39,810 | $19.14 | $33,068 | $2,756 |
| 75th percentile | $43,770 | $21.04 | $36,040 | $3,003 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $47,130 | $22.66 | $38,559 | $3,213 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $39,810 buys in San Francisco, CA
Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop's $33,068 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,602 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 less concentrated in San Francisco, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.62), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, adjusted for cost of living
San Francisco, CA ranks #5 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 |
*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
- Riverside, CA — $34,830
- Los Angeles, CA — $36,920
- San Diego, CA — $36,140
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in San Francisco, CA?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $39,810 a year, or about $19.14 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,060 and $43,770.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s take-home pay in San Francisco, CA?
On the median $39,810 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $33,068 a year ($2,756 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,099 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Francisco, CA a good place to work as a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Pay here is 28% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,602 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #5 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 San Francisco, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 95% 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 San Francisco, CA
- Chef and Head Cook — $68,970
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $51,520
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $49,140
- Cooks, Fast Food — $46,670
- Cooks, Restaurant — $46,030
- Cooks, Short Order — $45,790
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $44,710
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $43,870
- Dishwasher — $42,100
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — $41,970
- Food Preparation Worker — $41,000
- Bartender — $39,670