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Food server, kitchen salary

Average food server, kitchen salary

$12.66

$26,323 yearly

Entry-level food server, kitchen salary
$19,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025
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Average food server, kitchen salary by state

Highest paying states for food servers, kitchen

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Michigan$29,256$14.07
2New Hampshire$33,642$16.17
3Connecticut$29,123$14.00
4Ohio$26,235$12.61
5Delaware$27,584$13.26
6New York$32,311$15.53
7Iowa$26,981$12.97
8Tennessee$24,447$11.75
9Massachusetts$31,018$14.91
10Texas$27,656$13.30
11Rhode Island$28,793$13.84
12New Jersey$27,351$13.15
13Arizona$25,522$12.27
14Maine$26,818$12.89
15Idaho$25,841$12.42
16Missouri$25,095$12.06
17Oregon$27,924$13.43
18California$28,805$13.85
19Indiana$23,360$11.23
20Vermont$27,513$13.23
21South Carolina$23,153$11.13
22Wisconsin$23,903$11.49
23Pennsylvania$23,307$11.21
24Alabama$22,906$11.01
25Washington$25,956$12.48
26Georgia$22,847$10.98
27Arkansas$23,310$11.21
28District of Columbia$28,116$13.52
29Wyoming$22,157$10.65
30New Mexico$24,059$11.57
31Mississippi$22,300$10.72
32Florida$22,335$10.74
33Montana$23,208$11.16
34Kentucky$21,669$10.42
35West Virginia$21,784$10.47
36Minnesota$24,930$11.99
37North Dakota$24,488$11.77
38Maryland$24,492$11.78
39South Dakota$22,622$10.88
40Nevada$22,672$10.90
41Oklahoma$21,451$10.31
42Colorado$21,274$10.23
43North Carolina$20,956$10.07
44Virginia$21,776$10.47
45Alaska$21,285$10.23
46Illinois$21,597$10.38
47Louisiana$20,888$10.04
48Utah$21,051$10.12
49Hawaii$22,234$10.69
50Nebraska$21,399$10.29
51Kansas$20,771$9.99

Food server, kitchen salary details

A food server, kitchen's salary ranges from $19,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $35,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average food server, kitchen salary graph
Average food server, kitchen salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a food server, kitchen's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$35,000$2,917$17
75th Percentile$30,000$2,500$14
Average$26,323$2,194$13
25th Percentile$22,000$1,833$11
10th Percentile$19,000$1,583$9

Highest paying food server, kitchen jobs

The highest paying types of food servers, kitchen are assistant manager/server, food service associate, and server/barista.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Restaurant Server$24,558$2,047$11.81141,250
Kitchen Helper$25,796$2,150$12.4080,202
Food Prep$25,840$2,153$12.42168,743
Kitchen Staff$29,816$2,485$14.33154,513
Line Server$28,300$2,358$13.61246,165
Food Runner$25,536$2,128$12.28240,853

Top companies hiring food servers, kitchen now:

  1. Hy-Vee jobs (5)
  2. DIGS.com jobs (4)
  3. Aramark jobs (4)
  4. Logan's Roadhouse jobs (4)
  5. Texas Roadhouse jobs (7)

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$28,000$27,800$27,600$27,400$27,200$27,000
MaleFemale

Food server, kitchen salary trends

The average food server, kitchen salary has risen by $5,948 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food server, kitchen earned $20,375 annually, but today, they earn $26,323 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for food servers, kitchen over the last decade.

Compare food server, kitchen salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average food server, kitchen salary over time

Compare food server, kitchen salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Food server, kitchen salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$26,300$12.66+4.7%
2024$25,100$12.07+5.4%
2023$23,800$11.42+5.0%
2022$22,600$10.84+3.7%
2021$21,700$10.45+2.7%

Recently added food server, kitchen salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Delaware North CompaniesServer, Banners Kitchen and TapBoston, MA06/29/2025$14,087
AccorhotelKitchen ServerNew York, NY06/26/2025$37,566
American Pizza OvenKitchen/Pizza Dade CityPasadena Hills, FL06/10/2025$27,131
Sage HospitalityBenicia's Kitchen-Pool Server ***Seasonal**Sonoma, CA06/08/2025$37,608
Sage Hospitality Resources, LLPBenicia's Kitchen-Pool Server ***Seasonal**Sonoma, CA06/05/2025$37,608
CoraltreehospitalityServer-Catalina KitchenRancho Palos Verdes, CA05/14/2025$34,436
Delaware North CompaniesServer, Banners Kitchen and TapBoston, MA04/29/2025$14,087
MarcuscorpServer-Watermill Kitchen + BarCoralville, IA04/28/2025$20,870
Sh HotelsCasual Barback, 1 KitchenPrinceville, HI04/27/2025$46,958
The Summit HotelServer: Overlook Kitchen and BarCincinnati, OH04/20/2025$31,305

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