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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant earn a median of $35,360 a year ($17.00/hr) in the U.S. – from $21,840 in Puerto Rico to $39,370 in New York. Enter your pay below to see how you compare.

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Median pay, United States
$17.00/hr · $35,360 a year
293,900 jobs nationwide. That is 31% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Source: BLS, May 2025.

Pay range

10th percentile
90% earn more$28,030$13.48/hr
25th percentile
75% earn more$31,190$14.99/hr
Median (50th)
half earn more, half less$35,360$17.00/hr
75th percentile
25% earn more$38,500$18.51/hr
90th percentile
top 10% earn more$46,120$22.17/hr
Average (mean)
pulled up by top earners$36,140$17.37/hr

How does my pay compare?

Enter your pay to see where you stand among food servers, nonrestaurant. Nothing you type leaves your device.

Pay by state

States ranked by median annual wage for food servers, nonrestaurant. Tap a state for its minimum wage.

1. New York
17,520 jobs · $18.93/hr$39,370
2. California
32,430 jobs · $18.75/hr$39,010
3. Colorado
7,750 jobs · $18.70/hr$38,900
4. Washington
8,050 jobs · $18.69/hr$38,870
5. Alaska
430 jobs · $18.31/hr$38,090
6. District of Columbia
1,260 jobs · $18.23/hr$37,920
7. Hawaii
880 jobs · $18.23/hr$37,920
8. Maine
540 jobs · $18.11/hr$37,680
9. Vermont
780 jobs · $18.05/hr$37,540
10. North Dakota
1,630 jobs · $17.75/hr$36,910
11. Massachusetts
5,830 jobs · $17.67/hr$36,750
12. New Hampshire
1,770 jobs · $17.65/hr$36,710
13. Maryland
6,600 jobs · $17.62/hr$36,650
14. Oregon
4,420 jobs · $17.61/hr$36,620
15. New Jersey
11,400 jobs · $17.50/hr$36,390
16. Nevada
1,820 jobs · $17.32/hr$36,030
17. Minnesota
11,090 jobs · $17.31/hr$36,000
18. Connecticut
5,050 jobs · $17.29/hr$35,950
19. New Mexico
670 jobs · $17.19/hr$35,740
20. Arizona
4,620 jobs · $17.01/hr$35,390
21. Virginia
7,420 jobs · $16.87/hr$35,090
22. Illinois
17,560 jobs · $16.87/hr$35,080
23. Rhode Island
1,020 jobs · $16.76/hr$34,860
24. Wisconsin
6,680 jobs · $16.67/hr$34,670
25. Michigan
7,700 jobs · $16.47/hr$34,260
26. Idaho
930 jobs · $16.45/hr$34,220
27. Florida
19,240 jobs · $16.31/hr$33,930
28. Pennsylvania
13,940 jobs · $16.01/hr$33,300
29. Wyoming
250 jobs · $15.91/hr$33,090
30. Kentucky
3,660 jobs · $15.48/hr$32,200
31. Montana
1,050 jobs · $15.43/hr$32,090
32. South Dakota
160 jobs · $15.38/hr$31,980
33. Indiana
3,900 jobs · $15.31/hr$31,840
34. Missouri
7,490 jobs · $15.31/hr$31,840
35. South Carolina
2,990 jobs · $15.26/hr$31,740
36. Nebraska
3,800 jobs · $15.17/hr$31,540
37. Georgia
4,970 jobs · $15.16/hr$31,530
38. North Carolina
8,820 jobs · $15.13/hr$31,460
39. Delaware
1,010 jobs · $15.11/hr$31,430
40. Tennessee
5,230 jobs · $14.75/hr$30,670
41. Ohio
15,320 jobs · $14.63/hr$30,440
42. Utah
2,430 jobs · $14.51/hr$30,170
43. West Virginia
460 jobs · $14.51/hr$30,170
44. Iowa
5,270 jobs · $14.48/hr$30,110
45. Texas
14,340 jobs · $14.09/hr$29,300
46. Kansas
1,270 jobs · $13.96/hr$29,040
47. Alabama
2,920 jobs · $13.94/hr$29,000
48. Oklahoma
1,760 jobs · $13.70/hr$28,490
49. Arkansas
3,540 jobs · $13.27/hr$27,600
50. Mississippi
1,860 jobs · $13.10/hr$27,250
51. Louisiana
2,380 jobs · $13.08/hr$27,200
52. Puerto Rico
540 jobs · $10.50/hr$21,840
Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200Waiters and Waitresses$35,230Cooks, Restaurant$37,390First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,080Food Preparation Workers$35,320Bartenders$34,340Cooks, Fast Food$30,890Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC code 35-3041. Wages exclude the self-employed. All jobs · Minimum wage by state

Questions & answers

How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make?

The median wage for food servers, nonrestaurant in the U.S. was $17.00 an hour or $35,360 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $31,190 and $38,500 a year.

Which state pays food servers, nonrestaurant the most?

New York has the highest median wage for food servers, nonrestaurant: $39,370 a year. The lowest published median is in Puerto Rico at $21,840. Living costs also differ a lot between states.

How many food servers, nonrestaurant are there?

BLS estimates 293,900 food servers, nonrestaurant were employed in the U.S. in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

What is the difference between median and average pay?

The median is the middle wage: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The average (mean) adds everyone up and divides, so a few very high earners pull it up. The median is usually the better guide to typical pay.

What does the 10th or 90th percentile mean?

The 10th percentile is the wage that only 10% of workers earn less than – often entry-level pay. The 90th percentile is the wage that only 10% earn more than – usually the most experienced or highest-paid workers.