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Food runner/busser salary
Average food runner/busser salary
$13.74
Understanding Food Runner and Busser Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Food Runner or Busser in the United States is approximately $28,577 annually, translating to about $14 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly depending on geographic location, type of establishment, and years of experience.
Average Salary by State
For instance, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for skilled workers in bustling urban areas. Conversely, positions in rural areas might offer lower compensation, but often come with reduced living expenses.
Opportunities for Advancement
Working as a food runner or busser can serve as a stepping stone to more advanced roles in the restaurant industry, such as server or manager. Gaining experience in these foundational positions not only enhances customer service skills but also provides valuable insights into restaurant operations.
Key Skills for Success
Successful food runners and bussers need excellent communication skills, the ability to work in fast-paced environments, and a commitment to providing outstanding service. Employers highly value individuals who show initiative and can anticipate the needs of both guests and staff.
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Where can a Food Runner/Busser earn more?
Average food runner/busser salary by state
The average food runner/busser salary in New Hampshire, Washington, and Vermont are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average food runner/busser salary states are Kentucky, Louisiana, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food runner/bussers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $30,617 | $14.72 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $33,017 | $15.87 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $27,593 | $13.27 |
| 4 | Maine | $29,220 | $14.05 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $28,156 | $13.54 |
| 6 | Vermont | $30,716 | $14.77 |
| 7 | Michigan | $27,860 | $13.39 |
| 8 | Washington | $31,671 | $15.23 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $28,774 | $13.83 |
| 10 | Arizona | $25,920 | $12.46 |
| 11 | Oregon | $30,106 | $14.47 |
| 12 | Delaware | $27,725 | $13.33 |
| 13 | Idaho | $28,167 | $13.54 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $29,410 | $14.14 |
| 15 | Ohio | $25,564 | $12.29 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $28,728 | $13.81 |
| 17 | Kansas | $25,013 | $12.03 |
| 18 | Missouri | $25,665 | $12.34 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $28,322 | $13.62 |
| 20 | Montana | $25,285 | $12.16 |
| 21 | Colorado | $25,867 | $12.44 |
| 22 | California | $29,164 | $14.02 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $26,822 | $12.90 |
| 24 | Nevada | $24,511 | $11.78 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $23,302 | $11.20 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $22,818 | $10.97 |
| 27 | Maryland | $26,400 | $12.69 |
| 28 | Indiana | $23,131 | $11.12 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $23,816 | $11.45 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $25,186 | $12.11 |
| 31 | Iowa | $24,076 | $11.57 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $28,441 | $13.67 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $22,127 | $10.64 |
| 34 | Alabama | $23,368 | $11.23 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $27,423 | $13.18 |
| 36 | Alaska | $25,254 | $12.14 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $24,860 | $11.95 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $24,500 | $11.78 |
| 39 | New York | $25,711 | $12.36 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $23,991 | $11.53 |
| 41 | Utah | $24,050 | $11.56 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $21,980 | $10.57 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $21,082 | $10.14 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $21,970 | $10.56 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $21,260 | $10.22 |
| 46 | Virginia | $22,562 | $10.85 |
| 47 | Texas | $22,826 | $10.97 |
| 48 | Florida | $20,739 | $9.97 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $21,558 | $10.36 |
| 50 | Georgia | $20,918 | $10.06 |
| 51 | Illinois | $22,120 | $10.63 |
Highest paying cities for food runner/bussers
The highest-paying cities for food runner/bussers are Seattle, WA, Philadelphia, PA, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $31,836 | $15.31 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $30,682 | $14.75 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $30,069 | $14.46 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $29,837 | $14.34 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $29,411 | $14.14 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $28,493 | $13.70 |
| 7 | Novi, MI | $27,849 | $13.39 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $27,652 | $13.29 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $26,478 | $12.73 |
| 10 | Cleveland, OH | $26,292 | $12.64 |
| 11 | Scottsdale, AZ | $25,902 | $12.45 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $25,838 | $12.42 |
| 13 | New York, NY | $25,627 | $12.32 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $24,405 | $11.73 |
| 15 | Ewing, NJ | $24,210 | $11.64 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $24,126 | $11.60 |
| 17 | San Antonio, TX | $22,934 | $11.03 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $22,216 | $10.68 |
| 19 | New Orleans, LA | $21,532 | $10.35 |
| 20 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $21,333 | $10.26 |
Food runner/busser salary details
A food runner/busser's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $36,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food runner/busser's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 75th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| Average | $28,577 | $2,381 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying food runner/busser jobs
The highest paying types of food runner/bussers are crew trainer, associate food scientist, and food expeditor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew Member | $28,946 | $2,412 | $13.92 | 239,413 |
| Cashier/Host | $24,581 | $2,048 | $11.82 | 131,740 |
| Crew Trainer | $53,128 | $4,427 | $25.54 | 101,338 |
| Server And Hostess | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | 97,109 |
| Server/Barista | $30,749 | $2,562 | $14.78 | 173,073 |
| Food Service Attendant | $25,604 | $2,134 | $12.31 | 229,108 |
Top companies hiring food runner/bussers now:
Which companies pay food runner/bussers the most?
Food runner/busser salaries at The Culinary Institute of America and Scottsdale Insurance are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food runner/busser salary at companies like HEI Hotels & Resorts and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Culinary Institute of America | $37,236 | $17.90 |
| 2 | Scottsdale Insurance | $37,125 | $17.85 |
| 3 | HEI Hotels & Resorts | $35,124 | $16.89 |
| 4 | Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants | $34,923 | $16.79 |
| 5 | Hyatt Hotels | $33,762 | $16.23 |
| 6 | Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts | $33,755 | $16.23 |
| 7 | HUB International | $33,661 | $16.18 |
| 8 | Skokie Country Club | $33,462 | $16.09 |
| 9 | Suburban Golf Club | $33,236 | $15.98 |
| 10 | Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant | $32,316 | $15.54 |
| 11 | La Costa Glen | $32,131 | $15.45 |
| 12 | Gallagher | $32,130 | $15.45 |
| 13 | Saba Capital Management | $31,759 | $15.27 |
| 14 | Boqueria Restaurant | $31,599 | $15.19 |
| 15 | Carnivale | $31,531 | $15.16 |
| 16 | The Walt Disney Company | $31,526 | $15.16 |
| 17 | Village Tavern | $31,172 | $14.99 |
| 18 | Fairmont Schools | $31,106 | $14.95 |
| 19 | Sahara | $30,724 | $14.77 |
| 20 | Sage Hospitality Group | $30,662 | $14.74 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food runner/busser salary trends
The average food runner/busser salary has risen by $6,457 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food runner/busser earned $22,120 annually, but today, they earn $28,577 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for food runner/bussers over the last decade.
Compare food runner/busser salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food runner/busser salary over time
Compare food runner/busser salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food runner/busser salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $28,600 | $13.74 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $27,200 | $13.10 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $25,800 | $12.40 | +5.0% |
| 2022 | $24,500 | $11.77 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $23,600 | $11.34 | +2.7% |
Recently added food runner/busser salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maui Brewing Co Waikiki LLC | Busser/Runner | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/29/2025 | $50,088 |
| Highgate Hotels | Food Runner/Busser | Lahaina, HI | 06/27/2025 | $38,004 |
| Deck Commerce | Busser/Food Runner | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $36,001 |
| Kolter Hospitality Group | PM Food Runner/Busser | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 06/26/2025 | $29,218 |
| Good Time Design | Busser/Food Runner | Nashville, TN | 06/25/2025 | $20,870 |
| Tommy Bahama R&R Holdings | Busser/Food Runner | Kihei, HI | 06/25/2025 | $31,305 |
| Tommy Bahama | Island Ambassador-Busser/Food Runner | Hawaii | 06/24/2025 | $31,305 |
| Iron Tee Golf | Busser/Food Runner | Bettendorf, IA | 06/24/2025 | $20,870 |
| Marriott | Food & Beverage Food Runner/Busser | Phoenix, AZ | 06/21/2025 | $31,409 |
| Aramark Corp | Runner-Busser-Sharks Ice-Stanley's | San Jose, CA | 06/20/2025 | $36,627 |
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