Fast food server demographics and statistics in the US
Fast food server demographics research summary. Zippia estimates fast food server demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our fast food server estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about fast food servers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 528,727 fast food servers currently employed in the United States.
- 54.6% of all fast food servers are women, while 45.4% are men.
- The average fast food server age is 23 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of fast food servers is White (57.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%), Black or African American (9.6%) and Unknown (6.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 101% of what men earned.
- 8% of all fast food servers are LGBT.
- Fast food servers are 75% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Fast food server demographics by:
Fast food server gender statistics
54.6% of fast food servers are women and 45.4% of fast food servers are men.
- Female, 54.6%
- Male, 45.4%
Fast food server gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 54.6% |
| Male | 45.4% |
Fast food server gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$30,885
Female income
$31,119
Fast food server gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in fast food server positions over time. Currently, 54.6% of fast food servers are female.
Fast food server gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 39.93% | 60.07% |
| 2011 | 39.93% | 60.07% |
| 2012 | 44.04% | 55.96% |
| 2013 | 43.19% | 56.81% |
| 2014 | 45.78% | 54.22% |
| 2015 | 43.05% | 56.95% |
| 2016 | 45.39% | 54.61% |
| 2017 | 46.31% | 53.69% |
| 2018 | 46.48% | 53.52% |
| 2019 | 47.66% | 52.34% |
| 2020 | 46.82% | 53.18% |
| 2021 | 45.40% | 54.60% |
Fast food server related jobs gender ratio
We compared fast food servers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, busboy/waiter and host/waiter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Barmaid | 5% | 95% |
| Head Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Bartender, Cook, And Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Fast Food Server | 45% | 55% |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 86% | 14% |
| Host/Waiter | 90% | 10% |
| Busboy/Waiter | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Fast food server demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among fast food servers is White, which makes up 57.5% of all fast food servers. Comparatively, 18.6% of fast food servers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of fast food servers are Black or African American.
- White, 57.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.6%
- Black or African American, 9.6%
- Unknown, 6.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Fast food server race
| Fast food server race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.6% |
| Black or African American | 9.6% |
| Unknown | 6.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Fast food server race and ethnicity over time
See how fast food server racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Fast food server race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.31% | 13.07% | 3.29% | 14.66% |
| 2011 | 66.24% | 14.53% | 3.52% | 12.64% |
| 2012 | 65.06% | 14.43% | 3.94% | 13.05% |
| 2013 | 64.18% | 13.75% | 3.69% | 14.97% |
| 2014 | 64.11% | 14.58% | 3.91% | 13.79% |
| 2015 | 64.38% | 13.39% | 4.87% | 13.68% |
| 2016 | 63.01% | 13.46% | 4.15% | 14.93% |
| 2017 | 61.71% | 13.46% | 4.79% | 15.03% |
| 2018 | 64.11% | 11.49% | 5.21% | 15.12% |
| 2019 | 62.41% | 10.01% | 6.21% | 17.04% |
| 2020 | 59.95% | 9.82% | 6.36% | 16.74% |
| 2021 | 57.47% | 9.64% | 6.49% | 18.63% |
Fast food server wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino fast food servers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american fast food servers have the lowest average salary at $30,438.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $30,749 |
| White | $30,859 |
| Black or African American | $30,438 |
| Asian | $31,171 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $31,216 |
Average fast food server age
See how the average age of fast food servers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Fast food server age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 22.5 | 21 |
| Unknown | 21 | 20.5 |
| Asian | 21 | 22 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21 | 22 |
| White | 21 | 21 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 21 |
Fast food server age breakdown
The average age of fast food servers is 20-30 years years old, representing 51% of the fast food server population.
Fast food server age breakdown
| Fast Food Server Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 3% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 51% |
Fast food server educational attainment
The most common degree for fast food servers is high school diploma, with 62% of fast food servers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 17% and diploma degree at 9%.
- High School Diploma, 62%
- Diploma, 17%
- Associate, 9%
- Bachelor's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Fast food servers by degree level
| Fast food server degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 62% |
| Diploma | 17% |
| Associate | 9% |
| Bachelor's | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Fast food server jobs you might like
Fast food server wage gap by degree level
According to the data, fast food servers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $31,910 annually. With a Associate degree, fast food servers earn a median annual income of $31,500 compared to $30,180 for fast food servers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,180 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,910 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,500 |
Fast food server employment statistics
Most fast food servers work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where fast food servers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where fast food servers work.
Fast food server jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 12% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 28% |
Fast food server jobs by company type
Employees with the fast food server job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most fast food servers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Fast food server jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 21% |
| Private | 75% |
| Government | 3% |
Fast food server jobs by industry
The most common industries for fast food servers are hospitality, retail and manufacturing.
Fast food server industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 62% |
| Retail | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Fast food server turnover and employment statistics
Fast food server unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for fast food servers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fast food server unemployment rate by year
| Year | Fast food server unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 14.75% |
| 2011 | 16.23% |
| 2012 | 13.34% |
| 2013 | 12.58% |
| 2014 | 10.04% |
| 2015 | 8.71% |
| 2016 | 10.19% |
| 2017 | 9.58% |
| 2018 | 9.31% |
| 2019 | 8.07% |
| 2020 | 9.90% |
| 2021 | 9.86% |
Average fast food server tenure
The average fast food server stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,794 fast food servers resumes in Zippia's database.
Fast food server tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 43% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 1% |
Fast food server LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of fast food servers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food And Beverage Attendant | 6.48% | 203,747 |
| Food Porter | 6.98% | 57,175 |
| Mixologist | 7.82% | 53,872 |
| Fast Food Server | 7.82% | - |
Similar fast food server jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food And Beverage Attendant | 6.48% | 203,747 |
| Food Porter | 6.98% | 57,175 |
| Mixologist | 7.82% | 53,872 |
Foreign languages spoken by fast food servers
The most common foreign language among fast food servers is Spanish at 70.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 5.9% and German is the third-most popular at 2.9%.
- Spanish, 70.6%
- Russian, 5.9%
- German, 2.9%
- Japanese, 2.9%
- French, 2.9%
- Other, 14.8%
Fast food server languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 70.6% |
| Russian | 5.9% |
| German | 2.9% |
| Japanese | 2.9% |
| French | 2.9% |
| Other | 14.8% |
