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Job outlook for restaurant servers in the United States
Restaurant server job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected restaurant server job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 197,000 new jobs for restaurant servers are projected over the next decade.
Restaurant server salaries have increased 19% for restaurant servers in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,693,827 restaurant servers currently employed in the United States.
There are 141,250 active restaurant server job openings in the US.
The average restaurant server salary is $24,558.
Are restaurant server jobs in demand?
Yes, restaurant server jobs are in demand. Restaurant server demand is projected to grow 10% from 2018 to 2028.
Restaurant server job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of restaurant server jobs and the average restaurant server salary over time.
Restaurant server jobs over time
Restaurant server job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,693,827 | 0.50% |
| 2020 | 1,805,122 | 0.54% |
| 2019 | 2,351,479 | 0.70% |
| 2018 | 2,333,445 | 0.70% |
| 2017 | 2,326,203 | 0.71% |
Average restaurant server salary over time
Restaurant server salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $24,558 | $11.81 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | $23,679 | $11.38 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $22,531 | $10.83 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $21,538 | $10.35 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $20,679 | $9.94 | +3.8% |
Restaurant server jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of restaurant server job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where restaurant servers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for restaurant servers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,309 | 23% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 125 | 22% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,699 | 20% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 196 | 20% |
| 5 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 3,955 | 19% |
| 6 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 329 | 18% |
| 7 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,146 | 17% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,144 | 17% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,000 | 17% |
| 10 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 870 | 17% |
| 11 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 834 | 17% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 540 | 17% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 222 | 17% |
| 14 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 116 | 17% |
| 15 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 4,515 | 16% |
| 16 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,911 | 16% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,718 | 16% |
| 18 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,116 | 16% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 990 | 16% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 725 | 16% |
Most common cities for restaurant servers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monrovia | 3 | 8% | $32,369 |
| 2 | Novi | 3 | 5% | $21,152 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 4 | 4% | $30,689 |
| 4 | San Mateo | 4 | 4% | $32,660 |
| 5 | Miami Beach | 3 | 3% | $22,258 |
| 6 | Boston | 15 | 2% | $30,697 |
| 7 | Atlanta | 10 | 2% | $22,684 |
| 8 | Chicago | 14 | 1% | $22,166 |
| 9 | Washington | 9 | 1% | $34,261 |
| 10 | Denver | 7 | 1% | $26,116 |
| 11 | Anaheim | 5 | 1% | $32,379 |
| 12 | Fort Wayne | 3 | 1% | $22,109 |
| 13 | New Orleans | 3 | 1% | $19,579 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $26,782 |
| 15 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $22,122 |
| 16 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $32,401 |
| 17 | New York | 3 | 0% | $26,932 |