Best states for a Food And Beverage Server

Q: What is the best state for food and beverage servers?

The best state to be a food and beverage server is Arizona based on food and beverage server salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for food and beverage servers?

The highest paying state for food and beverage servers is Mississippi based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for food and beverage servers?

The worst state for food and beverage servers is Louisiana, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for food and beverage servers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for food and beverage server jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.In order to help you decide which state is the best for food and beverage servers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for food and beverage server jobs.

The median salary for food and beverage servers in Arizona is $31,516. Compare that to the median salary in Louisiana of $19,925, which ranked worst for food and beverage servers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Arizona is the best state for food and beverage server jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.

10 best states for food and beverage servers in 2025

1. Arizona
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 1,340
Average Annual Salary: $31,516
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $25,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
1.37
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Arizona
2. Colorado
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 1,275
Average Annual Salary: $32,754
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $26,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
1.29
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Colorado
3. Washington
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 1,082
Average Annual Salary: $38,483
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $31,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $47,000
Location Quotient:
0.89
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Washington
4. California
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 4,591
Average Annual Salary: $33,302
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $27,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $40,000
Location Quotient:
0.94
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in California
5. Connecticut
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 579
Average Annual Salary: $30,320
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $23,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
1.05
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Connecticut
6. Oregon
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 539
Average Annual Salary: $32,739
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $26,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $40,000
Location Quotient:
0.78
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Oregon
7. New York
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 1,791
Average Annual Salary: $32,086
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $25,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $40,000
Location Quotient:
0.84
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in New York
8. Michigan
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 1,603
Average Annual Salary: $25,741
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $20,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $32,000
Location Quotient:
1.24
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Michigan
9. Vermont
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 94
Average Annual Salary: $31,505
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $25,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $39,000
Location Quotient:
0.74
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Vermont
10. Minnesota
Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs: 861
Average Annual Salary: $31,491
Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $24,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn: $39,000
Location Quotient:
0.78
Food And Beverage Server Jobs in Minnesota

Food And Beverage Server JobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a food and beverage server

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a food and beverage server

Rank	State	Average Salary	Lowest 10% Earn	Population	Job Count
1	Arizona	$31,516	$25,000	7,016,270	1,340
2	Colorado	$32,754	$26,000	5,607,154	1,275
3	Washington	$38,483	$31,000	7,405,743	1,082
4	California	$33,302	$27,000	39,536,653	4,591
5	Connecticut	$30,320	$23,000	3,588,184	579
6	Oregon	$32,739	$26,000	4,142,776	539
7	New York	$32,086	$25,000	19,849,399	1,791
8	Michigan	$25,741	$20,000	9,962,311	1,603
9	Vermont	$31,505	$25,000	623,657	94
10	Minnesota	$31,491	$24,000	5,576,606	861
11	District of Columbia	$35,482	$27,000	693,972	121
12	Alaska	$28,772	$25,000	739,795	138
13	Tennessee	$24,904	$19,000	6,715,984	1,313
14	Pennsylvania	$25,616	$20,000	12,805,537	2,102
15	Idaho	$28,429	$22,000	1,716,943	228
16	Massachusetts	$31,091	$24,000	6,859,819	1,089
17	Utah	$27,003	$21,000	3,101,833	499
18	Missouri	$26,505	$20,000	6,113,532	1,054
19	Wyoming	$24,074	$19,000	579,315	145
20	Wisconsin	$24,917	$19,000	5,795,483	1,022
21	New Jersey	$27,831	$21,000	9,005,644	1,298
22	Maryland	$29,384	$23,000	6,052,177	924
23	Arkansas	$24,836	$19,000	3,004,279	434
24	Rhode Island	$26,932	$21,000	1,059,639	152
25	Hawaii	$31,960	$28,000	1,427,538	93
26	Delaware	$25,524	$20,000	961,939	218
27	Texas	$25,826	$20,000	28,304,596	2,845
28	West Virginia	$23,275	$18,000	1,815,857	348
29	Kansas	$24,826	$19,000	2,913,123	500
30	Montana	$24,263	$19,000	1,050,493	210
31	New Hampshire	$24,960	$19,000	1,342,795	285
32	Nevada	$24,837	$20,000	2,998,039	308
33	North Dakota	$25,273	$20,000	755,393	83
34	Ohio	$23,458	$18,000	11,658,609	1,849
35	New Mexico	$24,724	$19,000	2,088,070	288
36	Florida	$23,014	$19,000	20,984,400	2,899
37	Kentucky	$21,595	$17,000	4,454,189	828
38	Virginia	$22,935	$18,000	8,470,020	1,729
39	North Carolina	$22,334	$17,000	10,273,419	1,797
40	Maine	$24,148	$19,000	1,335,907	184
41	Georgia	$22,848	$18,000	10,429,379	1,731
42	Alabama	$21,703	$17,000	4,874,747	778
43	South Carolina	$20,235	$16,000	5,024,369	1,004
44	Iowa	$22,224	$17,000	3,145,711	540
45	Illinois	$22,989	$18,000	12,802,023	1,730
46	Indiana	$19,532	$15,000	6,666,818	1,232
47	Mississippi	$19,473	$15,000	2,984,100	427
48	South Dakota	$22,647	$17,000	869,666	133
49	Oklahoma	$19,652	$15,000	3,930,864	562
50	Nebraska	$21,834	$17,000	1,920,076	266
51	Louisiana	$19,925	$16,000	4,684,333	438

Highest paying states for food and beverage servers

Rank	State	Avg. Food And Beverage Server Salary
1	Arizona	$31,516
2	Colorado	$32,754
3	Washington	$38,483
4	California	$33,302
5	Connecticut	$30,320
6	Oregon	$32,739
7	New York	$32,086
8	Michigan	$25,741
9	Vermont	$31,505
10	Minnesota	$31,491
11	District of Columbia	$35,482
12	Alaska	$28,772
13	Tennessee	$24,904
14	Pennsylvania	$25,616
15	Idaho	$28,429
16	Massachusetts	$31,091
17	Utah	$27,003
18	Missouri	$26,505
19	Wyoming	$24,074
20	Wisconsin	$24,917
21	New Jersey	$27,831
22	Maryland	$29,384
23	Arkansas	$24,836
24	Rhode Island	$26,932
25	Hawaii	$31,960
26	Delaware	$25,524
27	Texas	$25,826
28	West Virginia	$23,275
29	Kansas	$24,826
30	Montana	$24,263
31	New Hampshire	$24,960
32	Nevada	$24,837
33	North Dakota	$25,273
34	Ohio	$23,458
35	New Mexico	$24,724
36	Florida	$23,014
37	Kentucky	$21,595
38	Virginia	$22,935
39	North Carolina	$22,334
40	Maine	$24,148
41	Georgia	$22,848
42	Alabama	$21,703
43	South Carolina	$20,235
44	Iowa	$22,224
45	Illinois	$22,989
46	Indiana	$19,532
47	Mississippi	$19,473
48	South Dakota	$22,647
49	Oklahoma	$19,652
50	Nebraska	$21,834
51	Louisiana	$19,925

Food And Beverage Server best states FAQs

What is the best state for food and beverage servers?

What is the highest paying state for food and beverage servers?

What is the worst state for food and beverage servers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Food And Beverage Server
Best states for Food And Beverage Servers

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs

Total Food And Beverage Server Jobs:	1,340
Average Annual Salary:	$31,516
Lowest 10 Percent Earn:	$25,000
Highest 10 Percent Earn:	$38,000
Location Quotient:	1.37

Best states for a Food And Beverage Server

10 best states for food and beverage servers in 2025

1. Arizona

2. Colorado

3. Washington

4. California

5. Connecticut

6. Oregon

7. New York

8. Michigan

9. Vermont

10. Minnesota