Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in St. Louis, MO
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $31,200 a year — 0% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $26,720 take-home, or $2,227 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,564
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,934
- Medicare (1.45%)$452
- Missouri income tax$529
- Take-home pay$26,720
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
Living in St. Louis? City residents also pay St. Louis’s Earnings Tax — about $312 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $26,408 ($2,201 a month). Choose “St. Louis” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
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 St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,600 | $13.75 | $24,753 | $2,063 |
| 25th percentile | $28,910 | $13.90 | $24,988 | $2,082 |
| Median (50th) | $31,200 | $15.00 | $26,720 | $2,227 |
| 75th percentile | $35,240 | $16.94 | $29,776 | $2,481 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $37,440 | $18.00 | $31,441 | $2,620 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $31,200 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop's $26,720 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,100 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 St. Louis, MO as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).
Best-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, adjusted for cost of living
St. Louis, MO ranks #7 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 Missouri
- Kansas City, MO — $29,280
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in St. Louis, MO?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $31,200 a year, or about $15.00 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $28,910 and $35,240.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $31,200 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $26,720 a year ($2,227 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $529 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Pay here is 0% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,100 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #7 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 St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 44% 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 St. Louis, MO
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,520
- Cooks, Restaurant — $37,690
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $36,200
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $34,340
- Food Preparation Worker — $32,400
- Dishwasher — $32,180
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $31,930
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $31,260
- Waiter and Waitress — $31,200
- Bartender — $31,200
- Cooks, Fast Food — $30,860