The average salary for a food server in District of Columbia is around $47,850 per year.
Avg Salary
Food servers earn an average yearly salary of $47,850.
Wages typically start from $36,400 and go up to $100,240.
34% below national average Updated in 2025
Food server earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level food server earnings begin at:
$48.19 per hour
$100,240 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level food server earnings begin at:
$37.75 per hour
$78,520 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level food server earnings begin at:
$23.01 per hour
$47,850 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level food server earnings begin at:
$17.50 per hour
$36,400 per year
10th percentile
Starting level food server earnings begin at:
$17.50 per hour
$36,400 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Food server salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62,390 |
| Vermont | $59,140 |
| Washington | $56,130 |
| Oregon | $48,410 |
| District of Columbia | $47,850 |
| New York | $47,020 |
| New Jersey | $44,960 |
| Colorado | $44,860 |
| Virginia | $44,760 |
| Arizona | $43,950 |
| Maine | $43,370 |
| Massachusetts | $38,460 |
| New Hampshire | $38,430 |
| Connecticut | $37,770 |
| Michigan | $37,760 |
| New Mexico | $36,920 |
| Delaware | $36,880 |
| Maryland | $36,750 |
| Ohio | $36,700 |
| Florida | $36,150 |
| Kansas | $36,120 |
| California | $36,080 |
| Rhode Island | $35,420 |
| West Virginia | $35,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,690 |
| Nebraska | $33,770 |
| North Carolina | $32,150 |
| Illinois | $31,200 |
| Utah | $31,150 |
| North Dakota | $30,890 |
| Idaho | $30,050 |
| Wisconsin | $29,670 |
| Kentucky | $29,660 |
| Missouri | $29,400 |
| South Dakota | $28,990 |
| Indiana | $28,480 |
| Tennessee | $27,760 |
| Alabama | $26,840 |
| Nevada | $26,410 |
| Alaska | $26,310 |
| Minnesota | $25,470 |
| Arkansas | $24,680 |
| Wyoming | $23,920 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $23,440 |
| Montana | $23,370 |
| Texas | $23,240 |
| Mississippi | $21,370 |
| Iowa | $21,000 |
| Guam | $19,650 |
| Georgia | $18,700 |
| South Carolina | $18,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,090 |
| Oklahoma | $17,910 |
| Louisiana | $15,080 |
How do food server salaries compare to similar careers?
Food servers earn 8% less than similar careers in District of Columbia. On average, they make less than culinary chefs but more than delivery service drivers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Culinary chef salary | $76K |
| Wedding planner salary | $77K |
| Event planner salary | $77K |
| Professional painter salary | $60K |
| Optician salary | $61K |
| Food server salary | $48K |
| Bartender salary | $54K |
| Office clerk salary | $55K |
| Garbage collector salary | $55K |
| Delivery service driver salary | $49K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)