Turnover Cost: Waiters and Waitresses, District of Columbia
Verified cost of employee turnover for the selected Waiters and Waitresses population in District of Columbia, United States, drawn from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025-may).
Waiters and Waitresses · District of Columbia, United States
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Estimated from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics annual mean wage of $59,510 for Waiters and Waitresses in District of Columbia, United States (2025-may), multiplied by the 0.5×–2× cost of replacing an employee reported by SHRM and Gallup. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the wage, not the cost — the range is a planning estimate, and a real figure depends on time-to-fill, ramp-up, and lost productivity.
How Waiters and Waitresses compares in District of Columbia, United States
Annual mean wage — the input to the estimate above, compared directly rather than as a derived range. See all 32 industries.
What this means
In the District of Columbia, Waiters and Waitresses earn an annual mean wage of $59,510, the highest in the nation. Replacing one of these workers costs an estimated $29,800 to $119,000, using the Work Institute's research that turnover can range from 33% to 200% of annual salary. The actual cost depends on vacancy duration, ramp-up time, and lost revenue while the position remains open.
Estimated cost of turnover: Waiters and Waitresses vs regional average
| Measure | Waiters and Waitresses | Regional average |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated cost of turnover | $59,510 | $99,584 |