The average wage for a food server in Tennessee is around $8.87 per hour.
Avg Wage
Food servers earn an average hourly wage of $8.87.
Salaries typically start from $7.23 per hour and go up to $10.87 per hour.
70% below national average Updated in 2018
Food server earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level food server earnings begin at:
$10.87 per hour
$22,609 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level food server earnings begin at:
$9.87 per hour
$20,530 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level food server earnings begin at:
$8.87 per hour
$18,444 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level food server earnings begin at:
$7.97 per hour
$16,570 per year
10th percentile
Starting level food server earnings begin at:
$7.23 per hour
$15,047 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 7% less than similar careers in Tennessee. On average, they make less than amusement attendants.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Amusement attendant salary | $20K |
| Cashier salary | $20K |
| Lifeguard salary | $19K |
| Host and hostess salary | $19K |
| Barista salary | $19K |
| Food server salary | $18K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)