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Dishwashers Salary
Dishwashers earn a median $34,810 a year in the U.S., with 477,450 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $34,810 a year
- Employment
- 477,450
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- -1.0%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 68,900
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $34,810 · $16.73 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $34,310 · $16.49 an hour (estimate error ±0.4%)
- 10th percentile
- $26,200 · $12.59 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $29,690 · $14.27 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $37,440 · $18.00 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $42,860 · $20.61 an hour
- Employment
- 477,450 (estimate error ±1.3%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Clean dishes, kitchen, food preparation equipment, or utensils.
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 480,400
- Projected for 2035
- 475,600
- Change
- -4,800 (-1.0%)
- Openings each year
- 68,900
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 0.2%
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $40,080 | 12,630 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $38,670 | 3,580 |
| 3 | California | $37,870 | 74,160 |
| 4 | Colorado | $37,840 | 8,500 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $37,740 | 4,520 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $37,190 | 14,100 |
| 7 | Illinois | $36,180 | 16,250 |
| 8 | Oregon | $36,040 | 6,680 |
| 9 | Vermont | $36,010 | 1,280 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $35,900 | 7,450 |
States with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 74,160 | $37,870 |
| Florida | 40,480 | $31,240 |
| Texas | 33,630 | $29,610 |
| New York | 30,680 | $35,450 |
| Pennsylvania | 19,570 | $29,950 |
| Illinois | 16,250 | $36,180 |
| Ohio | 14,380 | $29,520 |
| Massachusetts | 14,100 | $37,190 |
| Washington | 12,630 | $40,080 |
| Virginia | 12,520 | $33,130 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
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| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $45,930 | 800 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43,960 | 3,940 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $42,750 | 7,910 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,100 | 9,530 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $39,930 | 590 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $38,910 | 340 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $38,810 | 1,160 |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $38,710 | 4,530 |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,530 | 7,790 |
| 10 | Vallejo, CA | $37,910 | 530 |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37,750 | 10,540 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $37,750 | 540 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 27,520 | $37,580 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 25,580 | $35,670 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 12,240 | $31,480 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 11,910 | $36,850 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 11,690 | $37,010 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 10,540 | $37,750 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 9,930 | $31,200 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 9,610 | $35,630 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 9,530 | $42,100 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,900 | $33,270 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 8,480 | $28,600 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 7,910 | $42,750 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)175 certified filingsMedian offered wage $30,940
Dishwashers pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much do dishwashers make?
- The median wage for dishwashers in the U.S. is $34,810 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $29,690 and $37,440.
- Which state pays dishwashers the most?
- Washington has the highest median wage for this occupation at $40,080 a year.
- What is the job outlook for dishwashers?
- BLS projects employment to decline 1.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 68,900 openings each year on average.
- What education do dishwashers need?
- The typical entry-level education is: no formal educational credential.