SOC 35-9031 · Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in Cincinnati, OH

The average salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Cincinnati, Ohio is $30,220 a year ($14.53 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,350: half of the 3,790 people in this job in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,690).

$30,220average per year

$14.53 / hourMedian $29,350Take-home ≈ $25,536

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $38K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

3,790people in this job
-8%vs U.S. average
#2 of 12Ohio metros
95cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay range in Cincinnati

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,700 or more. The middle half of hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Cincinnati earn between $25,470 and $34,550.

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $38K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$30,220$2,518$14.53
Median$29,350$2,446$14.11
Entry level (25th percentile)$25,470$2,122$12.25
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,550$2,879$16.61

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay in Cincinnati vs. Ohio and the U.S.

Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Cincinnati earn about the same as the Ohio average ($29,370) and 8% less than the U.S. average ($32,690). At the median the gap is -6% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cincinnati$30,220$29,350$22,920$37,7003,790
Ohio$29,370$27,550$22,870$37,32015,480
United States$32,690$31,200$22,340$43,990432,690

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary after taxes in Cincinnati

On the average salary of $30,220, a single filer in Cincinnati takes home about $25,536 a year, or $2,128 a month and $982 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

The Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$25,585$2,132
Working in OH$25,536$2,128
Working in KY$25,522$2,127

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Cincinnati's local income tax (1.8%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.

Ohio paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cincinnati a good place for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cincinnati area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.4), so the average $30,220 buys what about $31,687 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Cincinnati ($50,170). A typical home costs $311,270, or 10.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $30,220 is worth in another city

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in other Ohio cities

Cincinnati ranks 2nd of 12 Ohio metro areas for this job; Columbus pays the most ($30,300).

All Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salaries in Ohio

Highest-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($47,650).

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by city

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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in Cincinnati: questions

How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make an hour in Cincinnati?

$14.53 an hour on average, and $14.11 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in Cincinnati?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $25,470, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop take-home pay in Cincinnati?

About $25,536 a year ($2,128 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,220. Includes Cincinnati's local income tax (1.8%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.

Do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn more in Cincinnati than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,690).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-9031; area Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (17140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Cincinnati's local income tax (1.8%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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