Food server earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level food server earnings begin at:

$22.90 per hour

$47,630 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level food server earnings begin at:

$13.68 per hour

$28,450 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level food server earnings begin at:

$8.61 per hour

$17,910 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level food server earnings begin at:

$7.96 per hour

$16,550 per year

10th percentile

Starting level food server earnings begin at:

$7.32 per hour

$15,230 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 about the same as related careers in Oklahoma. On average, they make less than bartenders but more than amusement attendants.

Career Median Salary
Bartender salary $25K
Food preparation worker salary $29K
Personal care aide salary $28K
Cashier salary $28K
Maitre d' salary $25K
Food server salary $18K
Barista salary $23K
Amusement attendant salary $22K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)