Best states for a food runner/busser

Q: What is the best state for food runner/bussers?

The best state to be a food runner/busser is Pennsylvania based on food runner/busser salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for food runner/bussers?

The highest paying state for food runner/bussers is Florida based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for food runner/bussers?

The worst state for food runner/bussers is Illinois, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for food runner/bussers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for food runner/busser jobs.Our research shows that Pennsylvania is the best state in the country for food runner/bussers.

To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for food runner/bussers. Pennsylvania is the best state for food runner/bussers, where the median salary is $30,617.We found that Pennsylvania is the best state for food runner/busser jobs, whereas Illinois is the worst.

10 best states for food runner/bussers in 2026

1. Pennsylvania
Total food runner/busser jobs: 1,841
Average annual salary: $30,617
Lowest 10 percent earn: $22,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Location Quotient:
1.04
Food runner/busser jobs in Pennsylvania
2. New Hampshire
Total food runner/busser jobs: 251
Average annual salary: $33,017
Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Location Quotient:
0.95
Food runner/busser jobs in New Hampshire
3. North Carolina
Total food runner/busser jobs: 1,690
Average annual salary: $27,593
Lowest 10 percent earn: $19,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Location Quotient:
1.16
Food runner/busser jobs in North Carolina
4. Maine
Total food runner/busser jobs: 202
Average annual salary: $29,220
Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $35,000
Location Quotient:
1
Food runner/busser jobs in Maine
5. Wisconsin
Total food runner/busser jobs: 861
Average annual salary: $28,156
Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Location Quotient:
1.03
Food runner/busser jobs in Wisconsin
6. Vermont
Total food runner/busser jobs: 91
Average annual salary: $30,716
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
0.78
Food runner/busser jobs in Vermont
7. Michigan
Total food runner/busser jobs: 1,134
Average annual salary: $27,860
Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
0.96
Food runner/busser jobs in Michigan
8. Washington
Total food runner/busser jobs: 795
Average annual salary: $31,671
Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
0.72
Food runner/busser jobs in Washington
9. Connecticut
Total food runner/busser jobs: 452
Average annual salary: $28,774
Lowest 10 percent earn: $21,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Food runner/busser jobs in Connecticut
10. Arizona
Total food runner/busser jobs: 1,179
Average annual salary: $25,920
Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Location Quotient:
1.33
Food runner/busser jobs in Arizona

Food runner/busser jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a food runner/busser

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a food runner/busser

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Pennsylvania	$30,617	$22,000	12,805,537	1,841
2	New Hampshire	$33,017	$25,000	1,342,795	251
3	North Carolina	$27,593	$19,000	10,273,419	1,690
4	Maine	$29,220	$23,000	1,335,907	202
5	Wisconsin	$28,156	$20,000	5,795,483	861
6	Vermont	$30,716	$24,000	623,657	91
7	Michigan	$27,860	$20,000	9,962,311	1,134
8	Washington	$31,671	$23,000	7,405,743	795
9	Connecticut	$28,774	$21,000	3,588,184	452
10	Arizona	$25,920	$18,000	7,016,270	1,179
11	Oregon	$30,106	$22,000	4,142,776	448
12	Delaware	$27,725	$19,000	961,939	191
13	Idaho	$28,167	$20,000	1,716,943	220
14	Massachusetts	$29,410	$22,000	6,859,819	1,062
15	Ohio	$25,564	$18,000	11,658,609	1,659
16	Minnesota	$28,728	$21,000	5,576,606	784
17	Kansas	$25,013	$17,000	2,913,123	573
18	Missouri	$25,665	$18,000	6,113,532	968
19	Rhode Island	$28,322	$21,000	1,059,639	119
20	Montana	$25,285	$19,000	1,050,493	216
21	Colorado	$25,867	$18,000	5,607,154	1,072
22	California	$29,164	$20,000	39,536,653	3,529
23	North Dakota	$26,822	$20,000	755,393	88
24	Nevada	$24,511	$17,000	2,998,039	335
25	Wyoming	$23,302	$17,000	579,315	122
26	Mississippi	$22,818	$15,000	2,984,100	442
27	Maryland	$26,400	$18,000	6,052,177	935
28	Indiana	$23,131	$16,000	6,666,818	1,345
29	Arkansas	$23,816	$16,000	3,004,279	399
30	New Mexico	$25,186	$17,000	2,088,070	253
31	Iowa	$24,076	$17,000	3,145,711	549
32	District of Columbia	$28,441	$20,000	693,972	117
33	West Virginia	$22,127	$15,000	1,815,857	325
34	Alabama	$23,368	$16,000	4,874,747	691
35	Hawaii	$27,423	$22,000	1,427,538	113
36	Alaska	$25,254	$21,000	739,795	125
37	Nebraska	$24,860	$17,000	1,920,076	235
38	New Jersey	$24,500	$17,000	9,005,644	1,251
39	New York	$25,711	$18,000	19,849,399	1,598
40	South Dakota	$23,991	$17,000	869,666	129
41	Utah	$24,050	$17,000	3,101,833	418
42	Oklahoma	$21,980	$15,000	3,930,864	514
43	Tennessee	$21,082	$14,000	6,715,984	1,185
44	Kentucky	$21,970	$15,000	4,454,189	574
45	South Carolina	$21,260	$14,000	5,024,369	932
46	Virginia	$22,562	$15,000	8,470,020	1,569
47	Texas	$22,826	$15,000	28,304,596	2,697
48	Florida	$20,739	$14,000	20,984,400	3,011
49	Louisiana	$21,558	$14,000	4,684,333	495
50	Georgia	$20,918	$14,000	10,429,379	1,758
51	Illinois	$22,120	$16,000	12,802,023	1,811

Highest paying states for food runner/bussers

Rank	State	Avg. Food Runner/Busser Salary
1	Pennsylvania	$30,617
2	New Hampshire	$33,017
3	North Carolina	$27,593
4	Maine	$29,220
5	Wisconsin	$28,156
6	Vermont	$30,716
7	Michigan	$27,860
8	Washington	$31,671
9	Connecticut	$28,774
10	Arizona	$25,920
11	Oregon	$30,106
12	Delaware	$27,725
13	Idaho	$28,167
14	Massachusetts	$29,410
15	Ohio	$25,564
16	Minnesota	$28,728
17	Kansas	$25,013
18	Missouri	$25,665
19	Rhode Island	$28,322
20	Montana	$25,285
21	Colorado	$25,867
22	California	$29,164
23	North Dakota	$26,822
24	Nevada	$24,511
25	Wyoming	$23,302
26	Mississippi	$22,818
27	Maryland	$26,400
28	Indiana	$23,131
29	Arkansas	$23,816
30	New Mexico	$25,186
31	Iowa	$24,076
32	District of Columbia	$28,441
33	West Virginia	$22,127
34	Alabama	$23,368
35	Hawaii	$27,423
36	Alaska	$25,254
37	Nebraska	$24,860
38	New Jersey	$24,500
39	New York	$25,711
40	South Dakota	$23,991
41	Utah	$24,050
42	Oklahoma	$21,980
43	Tennessee	$21,082
44	Kentucky	$21,970
45	South Carolina	$21,260
46	Virginia	$22,562
47	Texas	$22,826
48	Florida	$20,739
49	Louisiana	$21,558
50	Georgia	$20,918
51	Illinois	$22,120

Food runner/busser best states FAQs

What is the best state for food runner/bussers?

What is the highest paying state for food runner/bussers?

What is the worst state for food runner/bussers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Food Runner/Busser
Best states for Food Runner/Bussers

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total food runner/busser jobs:	1,841
Average annual salary:	$30,617
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$22,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$42,000
Location Quotient:	1.04

Best states for a food runner/busser

10 best states for food runner/bussers in 2026

1. Pennsylvania

2. New Hampshire

3. North Carolina

4. Maine

5. Wisconsin

6. Vermont

7. Michigan

8. Washington

9. Connecticut

10. Arizona