Food server earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level food server earnings begin at:

$23.08 per hour

$48,000 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level food server earnings begin at:

$15.38 per hour

$32,000 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level food server earnings begin at:

$7.21 per hour

$15,000 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level food server earnings begin at:

$1.30 per hour

$2,704 per year

10th percentile

Starting level food server earnings begin at:

$0.16 per hour

$327 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Food server salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Ohio $6,000
District of Columbia $34,880
Massachusetts $33,840
Maine $30,860
Oregon $28,900
New Jersey $28,800
Vermont $28,690
Connecticut $28,560
Hawaii $28,380
Rhode Island $26,120
Minnesota $25,920
New Hampshire $25,460
Maryland $25,000
Alaska $24,070
Virginia $23,930
Virgin Islands, U.S. $23,440
South Dakota $23,040
Delaware $22,920
Arkansas $22,880
North Dakota $22,730
Missouri $22,590
Indiana $22,040
West Virginia $22,010
New Mexico $21,840
Wisconsin $21,470
Nebraska $21,340
Nevada $21,240
Iowa $21,100
Montana $20,200
Colorado $20,000
Florida $20,000
North Carolina $20,000
New York $20,000
Washington $20,000
Idaho $19,910
Guam $19,650
Arizona $19,500
California $19,000
Kentucky $18,840
Wyoming $18,840
Kansas $18,780
Oklahoma $18,670
Louisiana $18,270
South Carolina $18,240
Tennessee $18,230
Alabama $18,120
Puerto Rico $18,090
Mississippi $17,730
Georgia $16,000
Illinois $15,000
Texas $15,000
Utah $1,400
Michigan $12,000
Pennsylvania $10,428

How do food server salaries compare to similar careers?

Food servers earn 80% more than similar careers in Illinois.

Career Median Salary
Cashier salary $10K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)