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Food Server salary
Average food server salary
$12.12
How much does a food server make?
The average food server salary in the United States is $25,209. Food server salaries typically range between $18,000 and $34,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for food servers is $12.12 per hour.
Food server salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Food servers earn the highest average salary in Vermont.
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Where can a Food Server earn more?
Food Server salary estimates from across the web
Average food server salary by state
Highest paying states for food servers
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $26,261 | $12.63 |
| 2 | Maine | $30,677 | $14.75 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $26,487 | $12.73 |
| 4 | Idaho | $28,864 | $13.88 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $30,371 | $14.60 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $23,186 | $11.15 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $30,875 | $14.84 |
| 8 | Vermont | $31,295 | $15.05 |
| 9 | Washington | $28,846 | $13.87 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $28,746 | $13.82 |
| 11 | New York | $28,478 | $13.69 |
| 12 | Alabama | $25,803 | $12.41 |
| 13 | California | $30,147 | $14.49 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $23,156 | $11.13 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $24,708 | $11.88 |
| 16 | Oregon | $26,623 | $12.80 |
| 17 | Virginia | $25,599 | $12.31 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $26,107 | $12.55 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $22,260 | $10.70 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $22,173 | $10.66 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $23,956 | $11.52 |
| 22 | Illinois | $24,915 | $11.98 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $23,748 | $11.42 |
| 24 | Iowa | $23,279 | $11.19 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $22,640 | $10.88 |
| 26 | Arizona | $22,796 | $10.96 |
| 27 | Utah | $23,728 | $11.41 |
| 28 | Ohio | $22,327 | $10.73 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $22,000 | $10.58 |
| 30 | Nevada | $22,262 | $10.70 |
| 31 | Colorado | $23,492 | $11.29 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $23,937 | $11.51 |
| 33 | Florida | $21,703 | $10.43 |
| 34 | Georgia | $23,056 | $11.08 |
| 35 | Indiana | $21,779 | $10.47 |
| 36 | Michigan | $21,801 | $10.48 |
| 37 | Montana | $21,650 | $10.41 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $21,920 | $10.54 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $21,381 | $10.28 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $21,631 | $10.40 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $22,531 | $10.83 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $20,120 | $9.67 |
| 43 | Maryland | $21,778 | $10.47 |
| 44 | Texas | $20,235 | $9.73 |
| 45 | Delaware | $21,705 | $10.44 |
| 46 | Alaska | $19,747 | $9.49 |
| 47 | Missouri | $20,288 | $9.75 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $22,967 | $11.04 |
| 49 | Kansas | $19,904 | $9.57 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $21,511 | $10.34 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $20,270 | $9.75 |
Highest paying cities for food servers
The highest-paying cities for food servers are Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $30,005 | $14.43 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $28,852 | $13.87 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $28,413 | $13.66 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $26,549 | $12.76 |
| 5 | Springfield, VA | $25,764 | $12.39 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $24,926 | $11.98 |
| 7 | Montclair, NJ | $23,965 | $11.52 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | $23,738 | $11.41 |
| 9 | Broomfield, CO | $23,498 | $11.30 |
| 10 | Des Moines, IA | $23,281 | $11.19 |
| 11 | Chandler, AZ | $22,771 | $10.95 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $22,716 | $10.92 |
| 13 | Carson City, NV | $22,516 | $10.82 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $22,446 | $10.79 |
| 15 | Severn, MD | $21,789 | $10.48 |
| 16 | Boca Raton, FL | $21,694 | $10.43 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $21,532 | $10.35 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $21,388 | $10.28 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $20,289 | $9.75 |
| 20 | Dallas, TX | $20,259 | $9.74 |
Food Servers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Food Server salary details
A food server's salary ranges from $18,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $34,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food server's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 75th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| Average | $25,209 | $2,101 | $12 |
| 25th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
| 10th Percentile | $18,000 | $1,500 | $9 |
Highest paying food server jobs
The highest paying types of food servers are caterer/server, bartender server, and fine dining server.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server And Hostess | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | 97,109 |
| Server/Barista | $30,749 | $2,562 | $14.78 | 173,073 |
| Restaurant Server | $24,558 | $2,047 | $11.81 | 141,250 |
| Beverage Server | $25,886 | $2,157 | $12.45 | 79,100 |
| Fine Dining Server | $32,140 | $2,678 | $15.45 | 77,549 |
| Banquet Server | $29,017 | $2,418 | $13.95 | 125,381 |
Top companies hiring food servers now:
Which companies pay food servers the most?
Food server salaries at Gettysburg College and Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food server salary at companies like Ashley HomeStore and Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gettysburg College | $32,939 | $15.84 |
| 2 | Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 | $30,918 | $14.86 |
| 3 | Ashley HomeStore | $30,644 | $14.73 |
| 4 | Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) | $30,369 | $14.60 |
| 5 | Hilton CSD | $30,139 | $14.49 |
| 6 | HEI Hotels & Resorts | $29,972 | $14.41 |
| 7 | P&S Surgical Hospital | $29,523 | $14.19 |
| 8 | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance | $29,280 | $14.08 |
| 9 | Bertucci's | $29,198 | $14.04 |
| 10 | Mount Kisco Country Club | $28,897 | $13.89 |
| 11 | St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc | $28,753 | $13.82 |
| 12 | Beach Point Club | $28,525 | $13.71 |
| 13 | University of Rochester | $28,513 | $13.71 |
| 14 | Era Living | $28,258 | $13.59 |
| 15 | TPI | $28,141 | $13.53 |
| 16 | The Magazi Inc | $28,125 | $13.52 |
| 17 | Lehigh Valley Health Network | $28,078 | $13.50 |
| 18 | Compass Group USA | $28,012 | $13.47 |
| 19 | Child Start | $27,808 | $13.37 |
| 20 | Folks Restaurants Ltd | $27,789 | $13.36 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food Server salary trends
The average food server salary has risen by $6,188 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food server earned $19,021 annually, but today, they earn $25,209 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for food servers over the last decade.
Compare food server salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food server salary over time
Compare food server salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Food Server salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $25,200 | $12.12 | +5.7% |
| 2024 | $23,800 | $11.43 | +4.7% |
| 2023 | $22,700 | $10.89 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $21,700 | $10.44 | +4.8% |
| 2021 | $20,700 | $9.94 | +3.9% |
Recently added food server salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontainebleau Las Vegas, LLC | Food Server, Washing Potato | Hope, ID | 12/15/2024 | $32,307 |
| Yes and Company | Food Server-The Chateau at Lake LA Quinta | Lake Forest, CA | 12/15/2024 | $33,392 |
| Mohawkcasino | Food Server | Fine, NY | 12/15/2024 | $20,870 |
| Theresortatsummerlin | Earl Grey-Food Server | Las Vegas, NV | 12/15/2024 | $25,044 |
| Hilton Worldwide | Banquet Food Server (Temporary)-Hilton SAN Francisco Union Square | San Francisco, CA | 12/14/2024 | $37,712 |
| IHOP 3533 Woods Cross | Food Server-Expeditor | Woods Cross, UT | 12/14/2024 | $20,870 |
| North Bend School District 13 | Substitute Food Servers for The School Year | Ione, OR | 12/14/2024 | $28,592 |
| Hof's Hut Restaurant and Bakery | Lucilles BBQ-Food Server | Long Beach, CA | 12/13/2024 | $33,392 |
| Hof's Hut Restaurant and Bakery | Lucilles BBQ-Food Server | Tempe, AZ | 12/13/2024 | $22,644 |
| South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District | Food Server/Preparer | Enon, OH | 12/13/2024 | $28,550 |
Food Server salary FAQs
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