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Best states for a dining room server
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for dining room servers in the United States. Dining room server positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for dining room servers.In fact, our research shows that Maine is the best state for dining room servers in America. The best city in America for dining room servers with the highest pay is Marysville, WA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for dining room servers. Maine is the best state for dining room servers, where the median salary is $36,112.Maine is the best state, and Bellingham is the city with the highest pay for dining room servers.
10 best states for dining room servers in 2026
1. Maine
Total dining room server jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $36,112 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
2. Arizona
Total dining room server jobs: 1,022 Average annual salary: $29,845 Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. New Hampshire
Total dining room server jobs: 288 Average annual salary: $30,053 Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
4. Idaho
Total dining room server jobs: 179 Average annual salary: $36,278 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
5. Washington
Total dining room server jobs: 733 Average annual salary: $40,113 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
6. Montana
Total dining room server jobs: 196 Average annual salary: $28,879 Lowest 10 percent earn: $22,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
7. Connecticut
Total dining room server jobs: 486 Average annual salary: $30,494 Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
8. New York
Total dining room server jobs: 1,350 Average annual salary: $34,734 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
9. California
Total dining room server jobs: 3,423 Average annual salary: $34,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
10. Massachusetts
Total dining room server jobs: 837 Average annual salary: $34,079 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
Dining room server jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a dining room server
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a dining room server
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $36,112 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 157 |
| 2 | Arizona | $29,845 | $23,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,022 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $30,053 | $24,000 | 1,342,795 | 288 |
| 4 | Idaho | $36,278 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 179 |
| 5 | Washington | $40,113 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 733 |
| 6 | Montana | $28,879 | $22,000 | 1,050,493 | 196 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $30,494 | $24,000 | 3,588,184 | 486 |
| 8 | New York | $34,734 | $27,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,350 |
| 9 | California | $34,550 | $26,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,423 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $34,079 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 837 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $31,717 | $24,000 | 9,005,644 | 963 |
| 12 | Oregon | $32,415 | $25,000 | 4,142,776 | 433 |
| 13 | Vermont | $33,167 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 67 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $32,908 | $26,000 | 755,393 | 68 |
| 15 | Michigan | $26,551 | $20,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,126 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $25,663 | $19,000 | 579,315 | 127 |
| 17 | Ohio | $26,246 | $20,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,412 |
| 18 | Colorado | $27,399 | $21,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,192 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $25,018 | $19,000 | 1,815,857 | 248 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $25,161 | $19,000 | 6,715,984 | 973 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $35,215 | $27,000 | 693,972 | 90 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $33,928 | $30,000 | 1,427,538 | 81 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $28,550 | $23,000 | 1,059,639 | 116 |
| 24 | Iowa | $25,776 | $19,000 | 3,145,711 | 443 |
| 25 | Utah | $25,459 | $19,000 | 3,101,833 | 414 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $28,675 | $22,000 | 5,576,606 | 582 |
| 27 | Missouri | $24,867 | $19,000 | 6,113,532 | 874 |
| 28 | Maryland | $28,030 | $21,000 | 6,052,177 | 765 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $25,134 | $19,000 | 5,795,483 | 651 |
| 30 | Delaware | $26,912 | $20,000 | 961,939 | 144 |
| 31 | Florida | $24,167 | $19,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,849 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $24,565 | $19,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,472 |
| 33 | Indiana | $24,402 | $18,000 | 6,666,818 | 883 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $24,334 | $18,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,253 |
| 35 | Alaska | $27,240 | $24,000 | 739,795 | 87 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $23,436 | $18,000 | 5,024,369 | 698 |
| 37 | Kansas | $24,763 | $18,000 | 2,913,123 | 343 |
| 38 | Nevada | $23,821 | $18,000 | 2,998,039 | 297 |
| 39 | Georgia | $24,377 | $18,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,394 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $23,234 | $17,000 | 4,454,189 | 586 |
| 41 | Illinois | $24,972 | $19,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,272 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $24,632 | $18,000 | 2,088,070 | 210 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $23,715 | $18,000 | 3,004,279 | 294 |
| 44 | Virginia | $23,577 | $18,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,220 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $22,459 | $17,000 | 3,930,864 | 416 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $20,822 | $16,000 | 4,684,333 | 453 |
| 47 | Alabama | $21,354 | $16,000 | 4,874,747 | 553 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $17,648 | $13,000 | 2,984,100 | 272 |
| 49 | Texas | $21,679 | $16,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,167 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $22,029 | $17,000 | 869,666 | 75 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $18,880 | $14,000 | 1,920,076 | 215 |
Highest paying states for dining room servers
| Rank | State | Avg. Dining Room Server Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $36,112 |
| 2 | Arizona | $29,845 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $30,053 |
| 4 | Idaho | $36,278 |
| 5 | Washington | $40,113 |
| 6 | Montana | $28,879 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $30,494 |
| 8 | New York | $34,734 |
| 9 | California | $34,550 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $34,079 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $31,717 |
| 12 | Oregon | $32,415 |
| 13 | Vermont | $33,167 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $32,908 |
| 15 | Michigan | $26,551 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $25,663 |
| 17 | Ohio | $26,246 |
| 18 | Colorado | $27,399 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $25,018 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $25,161 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $35,215 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $33,928 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $28,550 |
| 24 | Iowa | $25,776 |
| 25 | Utah | $25,459 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $28,675 |
| 27 | Missouri | $24,867 |
| 28 | Maryland | $28,030 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $25,134 |
| 30 | Delaware | $26,912 |
| 31 | Florida | $24,167 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $24,565 |
| 33 | Indiana | $24,402 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $24,334 |
| 35 | Alaska | $27,240 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $23,436 |
| 37 | Kansas | $24,763 |
| 38 | Nevada | $23,821 |
| 39 | Georgia | $24,377 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $23,234 |
| 41 | Illinois | $24,972 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $24,632 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $23,715 |
| 44 | Virginia | $23,577 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $22,459 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $20,822 |
| 47 | Alabama | $21,354 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $17,648 |
| 49 | Texas | $21,679 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $22,029 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $18,880 |
Dining room server best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025