The average wage for a food server in the United States is around $13.03 per hour.
Avg Wage
Food servers earn an average hourly wage of $13.03.
Salaries typically start from $9.91 per hour and go up to $17.12 per hour.
58% below national average Updated in 2019
Food server earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level food server earnings begin at:
$17.12 per hour
$35,606 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level food server earnings begin at:
$15.04 per hour
$31,286 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level food server earnings begin at:
$13.03 per hour
$27,098 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level food server earnings begin at:
$11.28 per hour
$23,470 per year
10th percentile
Starting level food server earnings begin at:
$9.91 per hour
$20,622 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Food server salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $52,110 |
| Vermont | $31,880 |
| New York | $31,534 |
| District of Columbia | $30,240 |
| Connecticut | $29,033 |
| Oregon | $28,749 |
| California | $28,387 |
| Washington | $27,720 |
| Maine | $27,550 |
| New Jersey | $27,530 |
| Massachusetts | $27,020 |
| Alaska | $26,480 |
| Nebraska | $25,610 |
| Nevada | $24,980 |
| New Hampshire | $24,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $24,175 |
| Michigan | $24,109 |
| Florida | $24,088 |
| Rhode Island | $23,980 |
| Maryland | $23,410 |
| Missouri | $23,333 |
| Indiana | $22,875 |
| Texas | $22,465 |
| Minnesota | $22,360 |
| Illinois | $21,938 |
| North Carolina | $21,718 |
| Ohio | $21,512 |
| Iowa | $21,367 |
| Colorado | $21,230 |
| Kansas | $21,198 |
| Arizona | $21,125 |
| Montana | $20,990 |
| Louisiana | $20,839 |
| Idaho | $20,780 |
| Utah | $20,590 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $20,380 |
| Delaware | $20,150 |
| West Virginia | $20,080 |
| Georgia | $20,074 |
| Virginia | $20,030 |
| South Dakota | $20,010 |
| Oklahoma | $19,609 |
| Wisconsin | $19,590 |
| Kentucky | $19,450 |
| Guam | $19,120 |
| Wyoming | $19,100 |
| Mississippi | $18,760 |
| New Mexico | $18,740 |
| North Dakota | $18,720 |
| South Carolina | $18,500 |
| Alabama | $18,480 |
| Tennessee | $18,444 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,040 |
| Arkansas | $17,867 |
How do food server salaries compare to similar careers?
Food servers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than concierges but more than janitors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Concierge salary | $28K |
| Florist salary | $27K |
| Security guard salary | $27K |
| Library assistant salary | $27K |
| Vehicle cleaner salary | $26K |
| Food server salary | $27K |
| Medical secretary salary | $27K |
| Receptionist salary | $26K |
| Recreation worker salary | $25K |
| Janitor salary | $25K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)