Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in Knoxville, TN

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Knoxville, TN

Median annual salary $28,070 -7.6% vs national
Median hourly $13.50
10th percentile $19,180
90th percentile $37,900
Employed locally 1,540
National median $30,380

Compare Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Knoxville, TN stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
in
Knoxville, TN
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $19,180
    25th
    $22,750
    50th (median)
    $28,070
    75th
    $30,550
    90th
    $37,900

    Knoxville economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.20% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $69,734 2023 • Census ACS
    Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary vs area income 40% Median Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary is 60% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $46,250
    Hawaii $43,070
    Urban Honolulu, HI $42,070
    Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area $40,150
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $40,000
    Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $38,280

    Nearby metros — Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $29,320
    Jackson, TN $29,150
    Memphis, TN-MS-AR $27,520
    Chattanooga, TN-GA $27,490
    Clarksville, TN-KY $27,470
    Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $26,320

    Related occupations in Knoxville, TN

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $27,680
    Waiters and Waitresses $28,100
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $37,620
    Cooks, Restaurant $35,630
    Food Preparation Workers $30,920
    Cooks, Fast Food $26,760

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop make per hour in Knoxville?

    The median hourly wage for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in Knoxville, TN is $13.50, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $16.41 or more per hour.

    Is Knoxville above or below average for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salaries?

    The median Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in Knoxville, TN is 7.6% below the national median of $30,380. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in Knoxville?

    Entry-level Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (10th percentile) earn around $19,180 per year in Knoxville, TN. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $22,750.