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This question is about food server salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Food Server?
A good starting salary for a food server is $17,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a food server in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for food servers is $24,006, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a food server can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Food Server Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level food server earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| New Hampshire | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Vermont | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Alaska | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Connecticut | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Massachusetts | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| North Dakota | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Nebraska | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Maine | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Missouri | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New York | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Utah | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Wisconsin | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| California | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Oregon | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Indiana | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Mississippi | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Michigan | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Wyoming | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Hawaii | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Idaho | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Washington | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| New Jersey | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Rhode Island | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Minnesota | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Ohio | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Illinois | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Delaware | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Iowa | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Arizona | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Montana | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| South Dakota | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| West Virginia | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Kentucky | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Tennessee | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Virginia | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Oklahoma | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Kansas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Maryland | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Arkansas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| District of Columbia | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Colorado | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| New Mexico | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| North Carolina | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Georgia | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Nevada | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| South Carolina | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Alabama | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Florida | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Texas | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Louisiana | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Food Server Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level food server job is above the national average. Topping the list is Everett, MA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Everett, MA | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| New York, NY | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Saint Louis, MO | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| San Francisco, CA | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Biloxi, MS | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Springfield, OR | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Springfield, VA | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Baltimore, MD | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
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