How Much Does a Porter Make in the United States?
The average salary for a Porter is $36,100 a year or $17.36 per hour, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Keep in mind that these amounts don’t factor in tips that Porters might receive.
The bottom 10 percentile of Porters earn as little as $24,710 per year, while the top 90 percentile of Portes may earn as much as $47,640 per year.
[Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics]
This chart is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the chart to see detailed data.
In simple terms, if you are making $24,710 per year working as a Porter, you earn less than 90% of all Porters in the U.S. On the flip side, if you earn $47,640 annually, your Porter salary is higher than 90% of others in this job role.
Porter Annual Salary by Year
Currently, the average Porter salary in the U.S. is at an all-time high. Porters now earn about 33.75% (or 7.12% if we adjust the numbers for inflation) more than what they earned five years ago.
[Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics]
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How Much Does a Porter Make Monthly?
Porters in the U.S. make $3,008.33 a month, not including what they make in tips.
How Much Does a Porter Make Weekly?
The average weekly pay for Porters is $694, which is around 39% less than the median weekly earnings of wage and salary workers in the U.S.
How Much Do Porters Earn Across the US?
Explore our interactive map below to get insights into average Porter salaries in every state.
Note: States marked green indicate unavailable data.
[Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics]
This map is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the map to see detailed data.
The three highest-paying states for Porters are New York ($47,620), Kentucky ($41,000) and Hawaii ($39,830). However, if we’re also factoring in the District of Columbia ($39,900), the average Porter salary here would rank third across the U.S.
You can also see in the table below the average Porter salary for every state and district, arranged in descending order.
| State | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $47,620 |
| Kentucky | $41,000 |
| District of Columbia | $39,900 |
| Hawaii | $39,830 |
| California | $39,640 |
| Washington | $39,610 |
| Massachusetts | $39,430 |
| Illinois | $39,010 |
| Oregon | $36,520 |
| Arizona | $36,410 |
| Connecticut | $36,185 |
| Wyoming | $35,640 |
| New Jersey | $35,460 |
| Maryland | $35,200 |
| Utah | $34,450 |
| Missouri | $33,980 |
| Virginia | $33,880 |
| Vermont | $33,180 |
| New Mexico | $32,930 |
| Rhode Island | $32,910 |
| Nevada | $32,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,710 |
| Florida | $32,460 |
| Minnesota | $32,450 |
| Alabama | $32,292 |
| Alaska | $32,220 |
| Indiana | $32,120 |
| Michigan | $31,480 |
| Wisconsin | $31,340 |
| Arkansas | $30,623 |
| New Hampshire | $29,910 |
| Tennessee | $29,850 |
| Texas | $29,460 |
| Iowa | $28,850 |
| Georgia | $28,190 |
| South Dakota | $28,040 |
| North Carolina | $27,810 |
| Ohio | $27,310 |
| Louisiana | $27,080 |
| Idaho | $25,357 |
| South Carolina | $24,950 |
| West Virginia | $24,270 |
| Mississippi | $23,940 |
| Oklahoma | $23,820 |
Porter Salary in Four Major US Cities
Out of the four cities displayed below, New York City offers the higher salary for Porters, followed by Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami.
Annual mean wage
$33,640
# of employees
1,850
Projected growth
1,648
Annual mean wage
47,590
# of employees
3,170
Projected growth
3,370
Annual mean wage
$39,260
# of employees
1,210
Projected growth
1,228
Annual mean wage
$38,970
# of employees
1,720
Projected growth
1,596
[Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Factors That Impact Porter’s Earnings
Several factors can influence how much you’ll earn working as a Porter, including:
- The location where you work: Places with a higher cost of living usually demand higher salaries as a way of compensating for the higher expenses.
- The company you work for: Working in luxury resorts, hotels or cruise ships might lead to competitive compensation and more generous tips.
- Your experience level: If you have previous experience working as a Porter, you are likely to be paid better than those who are new to the job.
- Your scope of duties: Your primary Porter duties include handling luggage, keeping the public areas within the establishment clean and tidy, guiding the guests and providing them with information. That said, having additional responsibilities such as assisting with administrative or laundry duties typically results in higher pay.
- Quality of service provided: Research shows that 77% of people base their decision on how much to tip on the quality of service. This shows that going above and beyond for a guest is often rewarded with more substantial tips.
[Source: Pew Research Center]
This chart is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the chart to see detailed data.
How To Negotiate Your Porter Salary
A study shows that 67% of people get, on average, 18.83% higher compensation than what was originally offered to them by negotiating their salary.
Here are three tips you can use for effective salary negotiations:
- Show your unique value: Present your interviewer with the unique skill sets you bring to the company, such as proficiency in inventory management systems or fluency in multiple languages. This will help you justify the salary you deem fair for your level of experience as a Porter.
- Research the market trends in your area: When your salary negotiation is backed up by facts you’ll have a better chance to seal the deal in your favor.
- Be ready to provide a specific number: After researching Porter salary trends, come up with a number that falls on the higher end of the pay scale, but be ready to compromise. For instance, you can settle for less provided they are willing to negotiate your raise in three to six months based on your performance.
Estimate Your Porter Take-Home Pay
Try out our Paycheck Calculator below to estimate your take-home pay after tax deductions. Follow these four simple steps:
- Step 1: Enter your earnings before tax deductions
- Step 2: Choose the preferred pay frequency
- Step 3: Select the state of your employment
- Step 4: Hit the Calculate Tax button to get the final results
Total Tax
Net pay
Disclaimer: Please note that this paycheck calculator is designed to provide an estimate and should not be considered as professional tax advice. The actual withholding amounts and taxes owed may vary depending on individual circumstances and other factors. For accurate and personalized tax advice, we recommend consulting with a tax professional.
How Much Do Similar Careers to a Porter Get Paid?
Porters in the U.S. have a higher average salary (not including tips) than Valets, Receptionists, Housekeepers and Hosts/Hostesses.
| Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Valet | |
| Receptionist | |
| Housekeeper | |
| Host/Hostess |
Methods We Use To Collect Our Salary Data
At OysterLink, we get our salary data from sites of government agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also look into estimates from various job search sites. On our methodology page, you may see all the sources we trust.
Porter Salary FAQs
Though Americans have a strong tipping culture, it is hard to pinpoint the exact amount of money Porters get in tips.
The general rule for guests is to leave a $2 tip per bag, but some tip up to $5 per service and even $10 in some instances.
Data shows that Oklahoma is the lowest-paying state for Porters in the U.S. There, the average Porter salary is only $23,820 annually.
According to the latest data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 28,780 Porters currently employed in the U.S.
