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Food server salary
Average food server salary
$12.12
Understanding Food Server Salaries
As of October 2025, the average food server salary is reported at $25,209 per year, translating to about $12 per hour. Factors influencing this salary include location, experience, and type of establishment. For instance, servers in upscale restaurants or busy urban areas often earn higher wages due to increased customer volume and tipping potential.
State-Specific Salary Insights
Food server salaries vary significantly by state. States like California and New York consistently report higher average salaries, often exceeding $30,000 annually. Conversely, states with a lower cost of living, such as Arkansas or Mississippi, typically offer lower wage brackets.
Career Progression
Many food servers find opportunities for career advancement, transitioning into roles such as restaurant management or event coordination. With experience and additional training, servers can enhance their earnings and open doors to new professional avenues.
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Where can a Food Server earn more?
Food server salary estimates from across the web
Average food server salary by state
The highest-paying states for food servers are Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. The lowest average food server salary states are Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food servers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $26,261 | $12.63 |
| 2 | Maine | $30,677 | $14.75 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $26,487 | $12.73 |
| 4 | Idaho | $28,864 | $13.88 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $30,371 | $14.60 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $23,186 | $11.15 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $30,875 | $14.84 |
| 8 | Vermont | $31,295 | $15.05 |
| 9 | Washington | $28,846 | $13.87 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $28,746 | $13.82 |
| 11 | New York | $28,478 | $13.69 |
| 12 | Alabama | $25,803 | $12.41 |
| 13 | California | $30,147 | $14.49 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $23,156 | $11.13 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $24,708 | $11.88 |
| 16 | Oregon | $26,623 | $12.80 |
| 17 | Virginia | $25,599 | $12.31 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $26,107 | $12.55 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $22,260 | $10.70 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $22,173 | $10.66 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $23,956 | $11.52 |
| 22 | Illinois | $24,915 | $11.98 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $23,748 | $11.42 |
| 24 | Iowa | $23,279 | $11.19 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $22,640 | $10.88 |
| 26 | Arizona | $22,796 | $10.96 |
| 27 | Utah | $23,728 | $11.41 |
| 28 | Ohio | $22,327 | $10.73 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $22,000 | $10.58 |
| 30 | Nevada | $22,262 | $10.70 |
| 31 | Colorado | $23,492 | $11.29 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $23,937 | $11.51 |
| 33 | Florida | $21,703 | $10.43 |
| 34 | Georgia | $23,056 | $11.08 |
| 35 | Indiana | $21,779 | $10.47 |
| 36 | Michigan | $21,801 | $10.48 |
| 37 | Montana | $21,650 | $10.41 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $21,920 | $10.54 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $21,381 | $10.28 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $21,631 | $10.40 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $22,531 | $10.83 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $20,120 | $9.67 |
| 43 | Maryland | $21,778 | $10.47 |
| 44 | Texas | $20,235 | $9.73 |
| 45 | Delaware | $21,705 | $10.44 |
| 46 | Alaska | $19,747 | $9.49 |
| 47 | Missouri | $20,288 | $9.75 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $22,967 | $11.04 |
| 49 | Kansas | $19,904 | $9.57 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $21,511 | $10.34 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $20,270 | $9.75 |
Highest paying cities for food servers
The highest-paying cities for food servers are Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $30,005 | $14.43 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $28,852 | $13.87 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $28,413 | $13.66 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $26,549 | $12.76 |
| 5 | Springfield, VA | $25,764 | $12.39 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $24,926 | $11.98 |
| 7 | Montclair, NJ | $23,965 | $11.52 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | $23,738 | $11.41 |
| 9 | Broomfield, CO | $23,498 | $11.30 |
| 10 | Des Moines, IA | $23,281 | $11.19 |
| 11 | Chandler, AZ | $22,771 | $10.95 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $22,716 | $10.92 |
| 13 | Carson City, NV | $22,516 | $10.82 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $22,446 | $10.79 |
| 15 | Severn, MD | $21,789 | $10.48 |
| 16 | Boca Raton, FL | $21,694 | $10.43 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $21,532 | $10.35 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $21,388 | $10.28 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $20,289 | $9.75 |
| 20 | Dallas, TX | $20,259 | $9.74 |
Food Servers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Food server salary details
A food server's salary ranges from $18,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $34,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food server's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 75th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| Average | $25,209 | $2,101 | $12 |
| 25th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
| 10th Percentile | $18,000 | $1,500 | $9 |
Highest paying food server jobs
The highest paying types of food servers are caterer/server, bartender server, and fine dining server.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server And Hostess | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | 97,109 |
| Server/Barista | $30,749 | $2,562 | $14.78 | 173,073 |
| Restaurant Server | $24,558 | $2,047 | $11.81 | 141,250 |
| Beverage Server | $25,886 | $2,157 | $12.45 | 79,100 |
| Fine Dining Server | $32,140 | $2,678 | $15.45 | 77,549 |
| Banquet Server | $29,017 | $2,418 | $13.95 | 125,381 |
Top companies hiring food servers now:
Which companies pay food servers the most?
Food server salaries at Gettysburg College and Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food server salary at companies like Ashley HomeStore and Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gettysburg College | $32,939 | $15.84 |
| 2 | Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 | $30,918 | $14.86 |
| 3 | Ashley HomeStore | $30,644 | $14.73 |
| 4 | Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) | $30,369 | $14.60 |
| 5 | Hilton CSD | $30,139 | $14.49 |
| 6 | HEI Hotels & Resorts | $29,972 | $14.41 |
| 7 | P&S Surgical Hospital | $29,523 | $14.19 |
| 8 | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance | $29,280 | $14.08 |
| 9 | Bertucci's | $29,198 | $14.04 |
| 10 | Mount Kisco Country Club | $28,897 | $13.89 |
| 11 | St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc | $28,753 | $13.82 |
| 12 | Beach Point Club | $28,525 | $13.71 |
| 13 | University of Rochester | $28,513 | $13.71 |
| 14 | Era Living | $28,258 | $13.59 |
| 15 | TPI | $28,141 | $13.53 |
| 16 | The Magazi Inc | $28,125 | $13.52 |
| 17 | Lehigh Valley Health Network | $28,078 | $13.50 |
| 18 | Compass Group USA | $28,012 | $13.47 |
| 19 | Child Start | $27,808 | $13.37 |
| 20 | Folks Restaurants Ltd | $27,789 | $13.36 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food server salary trends
The average food server salary has risen by $6,188 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food server earned $19,021 annually, but today, they earn $25,209 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for food servers over the last decade.
Compare food server salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food server salary over time
Compare food server salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food server salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $25,200 | $12.12 | +5.7% |
| 2025 | $23,800 | $11.43 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $22,700 | $10.89 | +4.2% |
| 2023 | $21,700 | $10.44 | +4.8% |
| 2022 | $20,700 | $9.94 | +3.9% |
Recently added food server salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caesars Entertainment | Banquet Food Server | Reno, NV | 06/29/2025 | $25,044 |
| Caesars Entertainment | Gourmet Food Server-Cafe 2-Chelsea (Tropicana Atlantic City) | Atlantic City, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $25,044 |
| Thomas Cuisine | Patient Food Server-Clovis Community Medical Center | Clovis, CA | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Peopleready | Food Server | Conshohocken, PA | 06/28/2025 | $33,392 |
| Monterey Peninsula Country Club | Food Server | Pacific Grove, CA | 06/28/2025 | $45,914 |
| Guest Services, Inc. | Food Prep/Server | Emmitsburg, MD | 06/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| Sun Prairie Area School District | Food Server at EHS | Sun Prairie, WI | 06/27/2025 | $35,333 |
| Casino and | Server-Food (Steakhouse) | Stateline, NV | 06/27/2025 | $25,044 |
| Hilton | Food Server, Kamuela Provision Company-Hilton Waikoloa Village | Waikoloa Village, HI | 06/26/2025 | $29,218 |
| Bally's Corporation | Server-Food (Steakhouse) | Stateline, NV | 06/26/2025 | $25,044 |
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