Food server earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level food server earnings begin at:

$20.10 per hour

$41,800 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level food server earnings begin at:

$15.36 per hour

$31,940 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level food server earnings begin at:

$12.25 per hour

$25,470 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level food server earnings begin at:

$11.24 per hour

$23,370 per year

10th percentile

Starting level food server earnings begin at:

$11.13 per hour

$23,150 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 6% less than similar careers in Minnesota. On average, they make less than cashiers.

Career Median Salary
Cashier salary $35K
Amusement attendant salary $31K
Barista salary $31K
Maitre d' salary $30K
Bartender salary $27K
Food server salary $25K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)