Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in the U.S.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in the U.S. earn a median of $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour), based on BLS data for 293,900 workers.
Pay ranges from $28,030 for the lowest-paid 10% to $46,120 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $36,140, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for food servers, nonrestaurant in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,030 | $13.48 |
| 25th percentile | $31,190 | $14.99 |
| Median | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| 75th percentile | $38,500 | $18.51 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,120 | $22.17 |
| Average (mean) | $36,140 | $17.37 |
Half of food servers, nonrestaurant earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $2,946.67 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,473.33 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,360 |
| Weekly | $680 |
| Hourly | $17.00 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $39,370 | 17,520 |
| California | $39,010 | 32,430 |
| Colorado | $38,900 | 7,750 |
| Washington | $38,870 | 8,050 |
| Alaska | $38,090 | 430 |
| District of Columbia | $37,920 | 1,260 |
| Hawaii | $37,920 | 880 |
| Maine | $37,680 | 540 |
| Vermont | $37,540 | 780 |
| North Dakota | $36,910 | 1,630 |
| Massachusetts | $36,750 | 5,830 |
| New Hampshire | $36,710 | 1,770 |
| Maryland | $36,650 | 6,600 |
| Oregon | $36,620 | 4,420 |
| New Jersey | $36,390 | 11,400 |
| Nevada | $36,030 | 1,820 |
| Minnesota | $36,000 | 11,090 |
| Connecticut | $35,950 | 5,050 |
| New Mexico | $35,740 | 670 |
| Arizona | $35,390 | 4,620 |
| Virginia | $35,090 | 7,420 |
| Illinois | $35,080 | 17,560 |
| Rhode Island | $34,860 | 1,020 |
| Wisconsin | $34,670 | 6,680 |
| Michigan | $34,260 | 7,700 |
| Idaho | $34,220 | 930 |
| Florida | $33,930 | 19,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $33,300 | 13,940 |
| Wyoming | $33,090 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $32,200 | 3,660 |
| Montana | $32,090 | 1,050 |
| South Dakota | $31,980 | 160 |
| Indiana | $31,840 | 3,900 |
| Missouri | $31,840 | 7,490 |
| South Carolina | $31,740 | 2,990 |
| Nebraska | $31,540 | 3,800 |
| Georgia | $31,530 | 4,970 |
| North Carolina | $31,460 | 8,820 |
| Delaware | $31,430 | 1,010 |
| Tennessee | $30,670 | 5,230 |
| Ohio | $30,440 | 15,320 |
| Utah | $30,170 | 2,430 |
| West Virginia | $30,170 | 460 |
| Iowa | $30,110 | 5,270 |
| Virgin Islands | $29,760 | n/a |
| Texas | $29,300 | 14,340 |
| Kansas | $29,040 | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $29,000 | 2,920 |
| Oklahoma | $28,490 | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $27,600 | 3,540 |
| Mississippi | $27,250 | 1,860 |
| Louisiana | $27,200 | 2,380 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,840 | 540 |
Best-paying metro areas for food servers, nonrestaurant
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $62,960 | 200 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $46,210 | 1,960 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $45,030 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,710 | 4,160 |
| Napa, CA | $41,850 | 240 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $41,090 | 310 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $40,640 | 4,800 |
| Ithaca, NY | $40,240 | 120 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $40,180 | 520 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $39,850 | 4,570 |
| Lawton, OK | $39,720 | 50 |
| Anchorage, AK | $39,550 | 250 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $39,120 | 19,450 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $38,980 | 50 |
| Boulder, CO | $38,930 | 650 |
Metro areas with the most food servers, nonrestaurant
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 19,450 | $39,120 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 12,200 | $35,670 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,850 | $38,350 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 7,610 | $33,300 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 6,740 | $36,420 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,760 | $37,540 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,980 | $34,950 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,800 | $40,640 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,570 | $39,850 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,370 | $37,330 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 4,300 | $32,170 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,160 | $44,710 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,100 | $31,160 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,540 | $35,710 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 3,490 | $32,070 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| Bartender | $34,340 | $16.51 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,080 | $21.19 |
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| Dishwasher | $34,810 | $16.73 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,450 | $18.01 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $62,470 | $30.03 |
| Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | $17.25 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | $35,840 | $17.23 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 35-3041. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a food servers, nonrestaurant make in the U.S.?
The median salary for food servers, nonrestaurant in the U.S. is $35,360 a year, or $17.00 an hour. Pay ranges from $28,030 for the lowest-paid 10% to $46,120 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid food servers, nonrestaurant make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of food servers, nonrestaurant in the U.S. earn at least $46,120 a year. The top 25% earn $38,500 or more.
What is the starting pay for food servers, nonrestaurant in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $28,030 a year, and a quarter of food servers, nonrestaurant earn $31,190 or less.
How many food servers, nonrestaurant work in the U.S.?
About 293,900 food servers, nonrestaurant are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.