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Job outlook for food servers in the United States
Food server job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected food server job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 372,900 new jobs for food servers are projected over the next decade.
Food server salaries have increased 22% for food servers in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,423,556 food servers currently employed in the United States.
There are 125,455 active food server job openings in the US.
The average food server salary is $25,209.
Are food server jobs in demand?
Yes, food server jobs are in demand. Food server demand is projected to grow 9% from 2018 to 2028.
Food server job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of food server jobs and the average food server salary over time.
Food server jobs over time
Food server job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,423,556 | 0.42% |
| 2020 | 1,533,043 | 0.46% |
| 2019 | 1,974,622 | 0.59% |
| 2018 | 1,986,879 | 0.60% |
| 2017 | 1,983,007 | 0.60% |
Average food server salary over time
Food server salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $25,209 | $12.12 | +6.1% |
| 2025 | $23,769 | $11.43 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | $22,660 | $10.89 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $21,716 | $10.44 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $20,665 | $9.94 | +4.0% |
Food server jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of food server job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where food servers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for food servers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 342 | 25% |
| 2 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,207 | 24% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 250 | 24% |
| 4 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 140 | 24% |
| 5 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,535 | 23% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,511 | 23% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 1,009 | 23% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,251 | 22% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 213 | 22% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,125 | 21% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,816 | 21% |
| 12 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 4,220 | 20% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 620 | 20% |
| 14 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 589 | 20% |
| 15 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 357 | 20% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 172 | 20% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,401 | 19% |
| 18 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,207 | 19% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,170 | 19% |
| 20 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,201 | 18% |
Most common cities for food servers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Severn | 6 | 14% | $21,789 |
| 2 | Council Bluffs | 5 | 8% | $23,267 |
| 3 | Annapolis | 2 | 5% | $21,780 |
| 4 | Reno | 7 | 3% | $22,491 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 5 | 3% | $23,738 |
| 6 | Bethesda | 2 | 3% | $21,745 |
| 7 | Henderson | 6 | 2% | $22,172 |
| 8 | Baton Rouge | 4 | 2% | $21,388 |
| 9 | Fort Lauderdale | 3 | 2% | $21,689 |
| 10 | Seattle | 6 | 1% | $28,852 |
| 11 | New Orleans | 3 | 1% | $21,376 |
| 12 | Omaha | 3 | 1% | $20,302 |
| 13 | Tucson | 3 | 1% | $22,664 |
| 14 | Bellevue | 2 | 1% | $28,844 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 4 | 0% | $30,005 |
| 16 | Philadelphia | 3 | 0% | $26,549 |
| 17 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $23,041 |
| 18 | Baltimore | 2 | 0% | $21,820 |