Server/barista demographics and statistics in the US
Server/barista demographics research summary. Zippia estimates server/barista demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our server/barista estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about server/baristas after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 461,847 server/baristas currently employed in the United States.
- 71.8% of all server/baristas are women, while 28.2% are men.
- The average server/barista age is 23 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of server/baristas is White (57.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%), Black or African American (9.6%) and Unknown (6.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 101% of what men earned.
- 8% of all server/baristas are LGBT.
- Server/baristas are 78% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Server/barista demographics by:
Server/barista gender statistics
71.8% of server/baristas are women and 28.2% of server/baristas are men.
- Female, 71.8%
- Male, 28.2%
Server/barista gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 71.8% |
| Male | 28.2% |
Server/barista gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$31,415
Female income
$31,696
Server/barista gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in server/barista positions over time. Currently, 71.8% of server/baristas are female.
Server/barista gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 27.89% | 72.11% |
| 2011 | 27.55% | 72.45% |
| 2012 | 23.51% | 76.49% |
| 2013 | 27.43% | 72.57% |
| 2014 | 26.83% | 73.17% |
| 2015 | 26.07% | 73.93% |
| 2016 | 28.01% | 71.99% |
| 2017 | 30.66% | 69.34% |
| 2018 | 29.10% | 70.90% |
| 2019 | 30.09% | 69.91% |
| 2020 | 29.39% | 70.61% |
| 2021 | 28.21% | 71.79% |
Server/barista related jobs gender ratio
We compared server/baristas with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, busboy/waiter and host/waiter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Barmaid | 5% | 95% |
| Head Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Bartender, Cook, And Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Server/Barista | 28% | 72% |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 86% | 14% |
| Host/Waiter | 90% | 10% |
| Busboy/Waiter | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Server/barista demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among server/baristas is White, which makes up 57.5% of all server/baristas. Comparatively, 18.6% of server/baristas are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of server/baristas are Black or African American.
- White, 57.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.6%
- Black or African American, 9.6%
- Unknown, 6.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Server/barista race
| Server/barista race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.6% |
| Black or African American | 9.6% |
| Unknown | 6.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Server/barista race and ethnicity over time
See how server/barista racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Server/barista race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.34% | 9.13% | 3.69% | 11.95% |
| 2011 | 67.95% | 11.05% | 4.79% | 12.64% |
| 2012 | 69.94% | 10.13% | 3.56% | 13.08% |
| 2013 | 69.81% | 10.93% | 3.38% | 12.04% |
| 2014 | 71.49% | 9.14% | 3.34% | 12.38% |
| 2015 | 67.30% | 8.91% | 4.26% | 14.38% |
| 2016 | 66.28% | 8.97% | 3.80% | 15.92% |
| 2017 | 68.29% | 7.59% | 6.14% | 14.37% |
| 2018 | 64.11% | 11.49% | 5.21% | 15.12% |
| 2019 | 62.41% | 10.01% | 6.21% | 17.04% |
| 2020 | 59.95% | 9.82% | 6.36% | 16.74% |
| 2021 | 57.47% | 9.64% | 6.49% | 18.63% |
Server/barista wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino server/baristas have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american server/baristas have the lowest average salary at $30,884.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,254 |
| White | $31,382 |
| Black or African American | $30,884 |
| Asian | $31,755 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $31,811 |
Average server/barista age
See how the average age of server/baristas varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Server/barista age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 22.5 | 21 |
| Unknown | 21 | 20.5 |
| Asian | 21 | 22 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21 | 22 |
| White | 21 | 21 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 21 |
Server/barista age breakdown
The average age of server/baristas is 20-30 years years old, representing 51% of the server/barista population.
Server/barista age breakdown
| Server/Barista Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 3% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 51% |
Server/barista educational attainment
The most common degree for server/baristas is bachelor's degree, with 48% of server/baristas earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 26% and high school diploma degree at 18%.
- Bachelor's, 48%
- High School Diploma, 26%
- Associate, 18%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Server/baristas by degree level
| Server/barista degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 48% |
| High School Diploma | 26% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Server/barista jobs you might like
Server/barista wage gap by degree level
According to the data, server/baristas with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $32,707 annually. With a Associate degree, server/baristas earn a median annual income of $32,219 compared to $30,652 for server/baristas with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,652 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,707 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,219 |
Server/barista employment statistics
Most server/baristas work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where server/baristas work
Below, you can see the size of companies where server/baristas work.
Server/barista jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Server/barista jobs by company type
Employees with the server/barista job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most server/baristas prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Server/barista jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 18% |
| Private | 78% |
| Government | 2% |
Server/barista jobs by industry
The most common industries for server/baristas are hospitality, retail and manufacturing.
Server/barista industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 50% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Start-up | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Education | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
Server/barista turnover and employment statistics
Server/barista unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for server/baristas between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Server/barista unemployment rate by year
| Year | Server/barista unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 18.11% |
| 2011 | 17.49% |
| 2012 | 16.09% |
| 2013 | 15.66% |
| 2014 | 13.47% |
| 2015 | 10.82% |
| 2016 | 10.79% |
| 2017 | 9.38% |
| 2018 | 9.31% |
| 2019 | 8.07% |
| 2020 | 9.90% |
| 2021 | 9.86% |
Average server/barista tenure
The average server/barista stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,044 server/baristas resumes in Zippia's database.
Server/barista tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 41% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 2% |
Server/barista LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of server/baristas that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Steward | 6.48% | 2,388 |
| Food Porter | 6.98% | 57,175 |
| Bartender | 7.82% | 57,518 |
| Server/Barista | 7.82% | - |
Similar server/barista jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Steward | 6.48% | 2,388 |
| Food Porter | 6.98% | 57,175 |
| Bartender | 7.82% | 57,518 |
Foreign languages spoken by server/baristas
The most common foreign language among server/baristas is Spanish at 52.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 17.0% and Italian is the third-most popular at 4.5%.
- Spanish, 52.2%
- French, 17.0%
- Italian, 4.5%
- Korean, 3.5%
- Japanese, 3.2%
- Other, 19.6%
Server/barista languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 52.2% |
| French | 17.0% |
| Italian | 4.5% |
| Korean | 3.5% |
| Japanese | 3.2% |
| Other | 19.6% |
