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Food and beverage server salary
Average food and beverage server salary
$13.2
Average Food and Beverage Server Salary
The average salary for food and beverage servers in the United States is around $27,465 per year, equating to approximately $13 per hour. However, salaries can vary significantly based on geographical location, type of establishment, and years of experience. For instance, servers in upscale restaurants may earn more than those in casual dining settings.
Factors Influencing Salaries
Several factors impact the earnings potential for food and beverage servers:
- Location: Areas with a high cost of living tend to offer higher wages.
- Experience: More experienced servers often command higher salaries.
- Establishment Type: Upscale venues generally pay better than casual eateries.
Additionally, tips play a significant role in overall income, often making up a substantial portion of a server's earnings. Understanding these dynamics can help you navigate your career effectively and maximize your earning potential.
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Where can a Food And Beverage Server earn more?
Food and beverage server salary estimates from across the web
Average food and beverage server salary by state
The average food and beverage server salary in Washington, California, and Colorado are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average food and beverage server salary states are Kentucky, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food and beverage servers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $31,516 | $15.15 |
| 2 | Colorado | $32,754 | $15.75 |
| 3 | Washington | $38,483 | $18.50 |
| 4 | California | $33,302 | $16.01 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $30,320 | $14.58 |
| 6 | Oregon | $32,739 | $15.74 |
| 7 | New York | $32,086 | $15.43 |
| 8 | Michigan | $25,741 | $12.38 |
| 9 | Vermont | $31,505 | $15.15 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $31,491 | $15.14 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $35,482 | $17.06 |
| 12 | Alaska | $28,772 | $13.83 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $24,904 | $11.97 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $25,616 | $12.32 |
| 15 | Idaho | $28,429 | $13.67 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $31,091 | $14.95 |
| 17 | Utah | $27,003 | $12.98 |
| 18 | Missouri | $26,505 | $12.74 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $24,074 | $11.57 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $24,917 | $11.98 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $27,831 | $13.38 |
| 22 | Maryland | $29,384 | $14.13 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $24,836 | $11.94 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $26,932 | $12.95 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $31,960 | $15.37 |
| 26 | Delaware | $25,524 | $12.27 |
| 27 | Texas | $25,826 | $12.42 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $23,275 | $11.19 |
| 29 | Kansas | $24,826 | $11.94 |
| 30 | Montana | $24,263 | $11.66 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $24,960 | $12.00 |
| 32 | Nevada | $24,837 | $11.94 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $25,273 | $12.15 |
| 34 | Ohio | $23,458 | $11.28 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $24,724 | $11.89 |
| 36 | Florida | $23,014 | $11.06 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $21,595 | $10.38 |
| 38 | Virginia | $22,935 | $11.03 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $22,334 | $10.74 |
| 40 | Maine | $24,148 | $11.61 |
| 41 | Georgia | $22,848 | $10.98 |
| 42 | Alabama | $21,703 | $10.43 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $20,235 | $9.73 |
| 44 | Iowa | $22,224 | $10.68 |
| 45 | Illinois | $22,989 | $11.05 |
| 46 | Indiana | $19,532 | $9.39 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $19,473 | $9.36 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $22,647 | $10.89 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $19,652 | $9.45 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $21,834 | $10.50 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $19,925 | $9.58 |
Highest paying cities for food and beverage servers
The highest-paying cities for food and beverage servers are Anaheim, CA, Denver, CO, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaheim, CA | $32,899 | $15.82 |
| 2 | Denver, CO | $32,746 | $15.74 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $32,033 | $15.40 |
| 4 | Franklin Town, MA | $30,982 | $14.90 |
| 5 | Ogden, UT | $26,980 | $12.97 |
| 6 | Kansas City, MO | $26,586 | $12.78 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $25,626 | $12.32 |
| 8 | Madison, WI | $24,922 | $11.98 |
| 9 | Franklin, TN | $24,867 | $11.96 |
| 10 | Little Rock, AR | $24,735 | $11.89 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $24,714 | $11.88 |
| 12 | Billings, MT | $23,896 | $11.49 |
| 13 | Mentor, OH | $23,605 | $11.35 |
| 14 | Orlando, FL | $23,034 | $11.07 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $22,993 | $11.05 |
| 16 | Sandy Springs, GA | $22,921 | $11.02 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $22,354 | $10.75 |
| 18 | Huntsville, AL | $21,847 | $10.50 |
| 19 | Mount Pleasant, SC | $20,148 | $9.69 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $19,471 | $9.36 |
Food and beverage server salary details
A food and beverage server's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $34,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food and beverage server's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 75th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| Average | $27,465 | $2,289 | $13 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying food and beverage server jobs
The highest paying types of food and beverage servers are food and beverage supervisor, caterer/server, and bartender server.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitstaff | $25,104 | $2,092 | $12.07 | 130,467 |
| Server And Hostess | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | 97,109 |
| Server/Barista | $30,749 | $2,562 | $14.78 | 173,073 |
| Lead Server | $28,677 | $2,390 | $13.79 | 123,215 |
| Food Runner | $25,536 | $2,128 | $12.28 | 240,853 |
| Cocktail Server | $26,178 | $2,181 | $12.59 | 74,674 |
Top companies hiring food and beverage servers now:
Which companies pay food and beverage servers the most?
Food and beverage server salaries at TPC Group and The Blake School are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food and beverage server salary at companies like Moss Adams and Pleasant Valley Wine are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TPC Group | $32,043 | $15.41 |
| 2 | The Blake School | $30,621 | $14.72 |
| 3 | Moss Adams | $30,057 | $14.45 |
| 4 | Pleasant Valley Wine | $29,940 | $14.39 |
| 5 | Target | $29,465 | $14.17 |
| 6 | Blake Management Group | $29,452 | $14.16 |
| 7 | Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts | $29,411 | $14.14 |
| 8 | Bridge Investment Group | $29,264 | $14.07 |
| 9 | DoubleTree by Hilton Portland | $28,836 | $13.86 |
| 10 | Ocean Reef Club | $28,587 | $13.74 |
| 11 | Hakkasan Group | $28,573 | $13.74 |
| 12 | Minnesota Limited | $28,399 | $13.65 |
| 13 | J.F. Shea Co | $28,391 | $13.65 |
| 14 | Sun Country Airlines | $28,214 | $13.56 |
| 15 | Fairmont Schools | $28,095 | $13.51 |
| 16 | Aimbridge Hospitality | $28,064 | $13.49 |
| 17 | City of Madison | $27,980 | $13.45 |
| 18 | Boise Centre | $27,881 | $13.40 |
| 19 | Auberge Resorts Collection | $27,662 | $13.30 |
| 20 | Vail Resorts | $27,380 | $13.16 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food and beverage server salary trends
The average food and beverage server salary has risen by $5,982 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food and beverage server earned $21,483 annually, but today, they earn $27,465 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for food and beverage servers over the last decade.
Compare food and beverage server salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food and beverage server salary over time
Compare food and beverage server salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food and beverage server salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,500 | $13.20 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $26,500 | $12.73 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | $25,200 | $12.11 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $24,100 | $11.58 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $23,100 | $11.12 | +3.7% |
Recently added food and beverage server salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McConnell Golf | Food & Beverage Server | Country Club of Asheville | Asheville, NC | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| PGA Tour | Food & Beverage Server-NON Seasonal | Blaine, MN | 06/28/2025 | $23,228 |
| TPC Network | Food & Beverage Server-NON Seasonal | Blaine, MN | 06/28/2025 | $23,228 |
| Three Rivers Casino | Food & Beverage-Blue Bills Food Server | Florence, OR | 06/27/2025 | $30,679 |
| Sbcos | Food and Beverage Supervisior | Saddle Brook, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $45,914 |
| Target | Food and Beverage, Starbucks, Deli, Bakery (T2046) | West Saint Paul, MN | 06/26/2025 | $35,479 |
| Quinault Beach Resort and Casino | Food & Beverage Server | Ocean Shores, WA | 06/25/2025 | $33,392 |
| Hilton Worldwide | Food and Beverage Server-Caribe Hilton | San Juan, PR | 06/24/2025 | $18,929 |
| Stonebridge Hospitality Associates | Food and Beverage Supervisior | Saddle Brook, NJ | 06/21/2025 | $45,914 |
| My Gym | Food & Beverage Team Member-Bartenders & Servers | Attleboro, MA | 06/18/2025 | $32,349 |
Food and beverage server salary FAQs
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