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Dining room server salary
Average dining room server salary
$14.2
Understanding Dining Room Server Salaries
The average salary for a Dining Room Server in the United States is around $29,540 annually or about $14 per hour. However, salaries can differ based on several factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific type of establishment where a server is employed.
Salary Variations by State
For instance, dining room servers in states like California and New York tend to earn higher wages compared to those in other regions. States with a high cost of living often reflect these salary differences.
Experience Matters
As with many professions, experience plays a crucial role in salary potential. Entry-level positions may start lower, while seasoned servers can command significantly higher wages. Understanding these variables can help aspiring dining room servers make informed career decisions.
Job Opportunities
Job seekers can find various opportunities across restaurants, hotels, and catering services. Websites like Zippia offer tools to apply for positions and discover potential salary ranges in different job markets.
Let Zippi find your next dining room server job
Let Zippi find your next dining room server job
Where can a Dining Room Server earn more?
Dining room server salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level dining room server | $26,200 | $12.60 |
| Mid-level dining room server | $32,700 | $15.73 |
| Senior-level dining room server | $32,500 | $15.63 |
Dining room server salary estimates from across the web
Average dining room server salary by state
The highest-paying states for dining room servers are Washington, Idaho, and Maine. The lowest average dining room server salary states are South Dakota, Texas, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for dining room servers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $36,112 | $17.36 |
| 2 | Arizona | $29,845 | $14.35 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $30,053 | $14.45 |
| 4 | Idaho | $36,278 | $17.44 |
| 5 | Washington | $40,113 | $19.29 |
| 6 | Montana | $28,879 | $13.88 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $30,494 | $14.66 |
| 8 | New York | $34,734 | $16.70 |
| 9 | California | $34,550 | $16.61 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $34,079 | $16.38 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $31,717 | $15.25 |
| 12 | Oregon | $32,415 | $15.58 |
| 13 | Vermont | $33,167 | $15.95 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $32,908 | $15.82 |
| 15 | Michigan | $26,551 | $12.76 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $25,663 | $12.34 |
| 17 | Ohio | $26,246 | $12.62 |
| 18 | Colorado | $27,399 | $13.17 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $25,018 | $12.03 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $25,161 | $12.10 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $35,215 | $16.93 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $33,928 | $16.31 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $28,550 | $13.73 |
| 24 | Iowa | $25,776 | $12.39 |
| 25 | Utah | $25,459 | $12.24 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $28,675 | $13.79 |
| 27 | Missouri | $24,867 | $11.96 |
| 28 | Maryland | $28,030 | $13.48 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $25,134 | $12.08 |
| 30 | Delaware | $26,912 | $12.94 |
| 31 | Florida | $24,167 | $11.62 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $24,565 | $11.81 |
| 33 | Indiana | $24,402 | $11.73 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $24,334 | $11.70 |
| 35 | Alaska | $27,240 | $13.10 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $23,436 | $11.27 |
| 37 | Kansas | $24,763 | $11.91 |
| 38 | Nevada | $23,821 | $11.45 |
| 39 | Georgia | $24,377 | $11.72 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $23,234 | $11.17 |
| 41 | Illinois | $24,972 | $12.01 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $24,632 | $11.84 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $23,715 | $11.40 |
| 44 | Virginia | $23,577 | $11.34 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $22,459 | $10.80 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $20,822 | $10.01 |
| 47 | Alabama | $21,354 | $10.27 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $17,648 | $8.48 |
| 49 | Texas | $21,679 | $10.42 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $22,029 | $10.59 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $18,880 | $9.08 |
Highest paying cities for dining room servers
The highest-paying cities for dining room servers are Marysville, WA, Palo Alto, CA, and Newton, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marysville, WA | $40,280 | $19.37 |
| 2 | Palo Alto, CA | $35,685 | $17.16 |
| 3 | Newton, MA | $34,078 | $16.38 |
| 4 | Lake Oswego, OR | $32,471 | $15.61 |
| 5 | Scottsdale, AZ | $29,925 | $14.39 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $28,683 | $13.79 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $27,403 | $13.17 |
| 8 | Rochester Hills, MI | $26,676 | $12.82 |
| 9 | Westerville, OH | $26,116 | $12.56 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | $25,478 | $12.25 |
| 11 | Madison, WI | $24,978 | $12.01 |
| 12 | Naperville, IL | $24,939 | $11.99 |
| 13 | Overland Park, KS | $24,769 | $11.91 |
| 14 | Sparks, NV | $24,753 | $11.90 |
| 15 | Woodstock, GA | $24,557 | $11.81 |
| 16 | Asheville, NC | $24,307 | $11.69 |
| 17 | Bradenton, FL | $24,156 | $11.61 |
| 18 | Mount Pleasant, SC | $23,263 | $11.18 |
| 19 | Fort Worth, TX | $21,731 | $10.45 |
| 20 | Madison, AL | $21,633 | $10.40 |
Dining room server salary details
A dining room server's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $37,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a dining room server's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 75th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| Average | $29,540 | $2,462 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying dining room server jobs
The highest paying types of dining room servers are caterer/server, bartender server, and fine dining server.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitstaff | $25,104 | $2,092 | $12.07 | 130,467 |
| Bus Boy | $24,432 | $2,036 | $11.75 | 17,550 |
| Busser | $24,111 | $2,009 | $11.59 | 14,989 |
| Cafeteria Worker | $24,465 | $2,039 | $11.76 | 31,802 |
| Server And Hostess | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | 97,109 |
| Server/Barista | $30,749 | $2,562 | $14.78 | 173,073 |
Top companies hiring dining room servers now:
Which companies pay dining room servers the most?
Dining room server salaries at Eastmont School District and Capital City Club are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average dining room server salary at companies like Syracuse University and Davenport Country Club are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastmont School District | $37,425 | $17.99 |
| 2 | Capital City Club | $36,654 | $17.62 |
| 3 | Syracuse University | $36,375 | $17.49 |
| 4 | Davenport Country Club | $35,515 | $17.07 |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin System | $35,219 | $16.93 |
| 6 | Erickson Senior Living | $34,844 | $16.75 |
| 7 | Cherokee Town and Country Club | $34,641 | $16.65 |
| 8 | Waters | $34,600 | $16.63 |
| 9 | Franklin | $34,240 | $16.46 |
| 10 | Mari | $34,019 | $16.36 |
| 11 | Medical Billing | $33,704 | $16.20 |
| 12 | Summit Pointe | $33,363 | $16.04 |
| 13 | River Bend Club | $33,249 | $15.99 |
| 14 | Il Fornaio | $33,246 | $15.98 |
| 15 | Philadelphia Cricket Club | $33,155 | $15.94 |
| 16 | Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants | $33,086 | $15.91 |
| 17 | Transforming Age | $32,946 | $15.84 |
| 18 | Senior Resource Group | $32,746 | $15.74 |
| 19 | Whirlpool | $32,698 | $15.72 |
| 20 | American Cruise Lines | $32,331 | $15.54 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Dining room server salary trends
The average dining room server salary has risen by $7,783 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average dining room server earned $21,757 annually, but today, they earn $29,540 a year. That works out to a 24% change in pay for dining room servers over the last decade.
Compare dining room server salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average dining room server salary over time
Compare dining room server salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Dining room server salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,500 | $14.20 | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $27,700 | $13.33 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $26,300 | $12.65 | +5.0% |
| 2022 | $25,000 | $12.02 | +4.5% |
| 2021 | $23,900 | $11.47 | +4.6% |
Recently added dining room server salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncaster Inc. | Dining Room Server | Bloomfield, CT | 06/29/2025 | $34,122 |
| Hyatt Hotels Corp | Server-In-Room Dining Casual | Wailea, HI | 06/27/2025 | $29,218 |
| Senior Living Residences | Dining Room Server [Dining] | Cambridge, MA | 06/26/2025 | $39,841 |
| Marriott International | Server-In Room Dining | Bloomington, MN | 06/24/2025 | $23,228 |
| Morningstar Senior Management LLC | Dining Room Server ~ Senior Living Community | Fort Collins, CO | 06/24/2025 | $33,392 |
| Guardian Management | Dining Room Server | Beaverton, OR | 06/21/2025 | $33,288 |
| Emerald Queen Hotel & Casinos | Employee Dining Server | Fife, WA | 06/21/2025 | $38,589 |
| Senior Living Residences | Dining Room Server [Dining] | Noank, CT | 06/20/2025 | $33,392 |
| Williamsburg Landing | Dining Room Server, Evenings/Weekends | Williamsburg, VA | 06/20/2025 | $32,349 |
| Morningstar Senior Management LLC | Lead Dining Room Server ~ Senior Living Community | Kirkland, WA | 06/20/2025 | $54,262 |
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