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Server salary
Average server salary
$14.38
Average Server Salary
The average salary for a server is approximately $29,901 per year, translating to about $14 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the type of establishment. For instance, servers in upscale restaurants often earn more due to higher customer tips compared to those in casual dining settings.
How Much Does a Server Make?
In addition to the base salary, servers frequently receive tips, which can make a substantial difference in their overall earnings. For example, servers in busy metropolitan areas might earn significantly more due to the higher volume of customers. Understanding local market conditions can help servers negotiate better pay.
Where Can a Server Earn More?
States such as California, New York, and Texas are known for offering higher wages for servers. This is largely due to the cost of living and demand for hospitality services in these regions. If you’re considering a career as a server, researching which states offer the best pay can lead to better financial outcomes.
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Where can a Server earn more?
Server salary estimates from across the web
Average server salary by state
The average server salary in New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average server salary states are Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for servers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $30,663 | $14.74 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $29,566 | $14.21 |
| 3 | New York | $36,333 | $17.47 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $36,211 | $17.41 |
| 5 | Vermont | $35,964 | $17.29 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $40,482 | $19.46 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $32,712 | $15.73 |
| 8 | California | $34,392 | $16.53 |
| 9 | Michigan | $27,801 | $13.37 |
| 10 | Washington | $33,958 | $16.33 |
| 11 | Oregon | $32,456 | $15.60 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $28,367 | $13.64 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $31,758 | $15.27 |
| 14 | Nevada | $25,707 | $12.36 |
| 15 | Maryland | $30,542 | $14.68 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $31,860 | $15.32 |
| 17 | Maine | $31,180 | $14.99 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $28,521 | $13.71 |
| 19 | Colorado | $27,491 | $13.22 |
| 20 | Delaware | $29,806 | $14.33 |
| 21 | Ohio | $24,304 | $11.68 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $28,351 | $13.63 |
| 23 | Missouri | $25,394 | $12.21 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $23,933 | $11.51 |
| 25 | Virginia | $27,584 | $13.26 |
| 26 | Indiana | $23,552 | $11.32 |
| 27 | Utah | $24,169 | $11.62 |
| 28 | Florida | $23,627 | $11.36 |
| 29 | Kansas | $23,718 | $11.40 |
| 30 | Texas | $23,294 | $11.20 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $25,552 | $12.28 |
| 32 | Illinois | $24,886 | $11.96 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $22,666 | $10.90 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $23,463 | $11.28 |
| 35 | Idaho | $24,650 | $11.85 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $23,922 | $11.50 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $23,122 | $11.12 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $29,032 | $13.96 |
| 39 | Georgia | $23,554 | $11.32 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $22,262 | $10.70 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $22,121 | $10.64 |
| 42 | Alaska | $24,865 | $11.95 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $23,219 | $11.16 |
| 44 | Iowa | $22,311 | $10.73 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $21,866 | $10.51 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $22,303 | $10.72 |
| 47 | Alabama | $21,595 | $10.38 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $21,654 | $10.41 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $20,657 | $9.93 |
| 50 | Montana | $20,840 | $10.02 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $21,723 | $10.44 |
Highest paying cities for servers
The highest-paying cities for servers are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $40,480 | $19.46 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $36,327 | $17.46 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $36,188 | $17.40 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $35,493 | $17.06 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $34,127 | $16.41 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $32,261 | $15.51 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $31,291 | $15.04 |
| 8 | Glendale, AZ | $30,741 | $14.78 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $28,590 | $13.75 |
| 10 | Washington, MI | $28,163 | $13.54 |
| 11 | Austin, MN | $27,928 | $13.43 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs, CO | $27,526 | $13.23 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $25,580 | $12.30 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $25,522 | $12.27 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $24,976 | $12.01 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $23,953 | $11.52 |
| 17 | Jacksonville, AR | $23,899 | $11.49 |
| 18 | Kansas City, KS | $23,753 | $11.42 |
| 19 | Jacksonville, FL | $23,719 | $11.40 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $23,710 | $11.40 |
Servers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Server salary details
A server's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a server's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| Average | $29,901 | $2,492 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying server jobs
The highest paying types of servers are caterer/server, bartender server, and fine dining server.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitress | $24,770 | $2,064 | $11.91 | 87,315 |
| Food Runner | $25,536 | $2,128 | $12.28 | 240,853 |
| Room Service Server | $26,717 | $2,226 | $12.84 | 144,551 |
| Server And Hostess | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | 97,109 |
| Fine Dining Server | $32,140 | $2,678 | $15.45 | 77,549 |
| Dining Room Server | $29,540 | $2,462 | $14.20 | 99,079 |
Which companies pay servers the most?
Server salaries at Dell and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average server salary at companies like Tableau and The Culinary Institute of America are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dell | $49,598 | $23.85 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $45,231 | $21.75 |
| 3 | Tableau | $45,051 | $21.66 |
| 4 | The Culinary Institute of America | $44,636 | $21.46 |
| 5 | UC Santa Barbara | $43,155 | $20.75 |
| 6 | Hill International | $42,447 | $20.41 |
| 7 | IBM | $41,442 | $19.92 |
| 8 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $40,983 | $19.70 |
| 9 | Aspen Snowmass | $40,248 | $19.35 |
| 10 | Lexington Country Club | $40,196 | $19.32 |
| 11 | Rich Products | $39,177 | $18.84 |
| 12 | Le Bleu | $38,878 | $18.69 |
| 13 | Lawrence General Hospital | $38,864 | $18.68 |
| 14 | Franklin | $38,472 | $18.50 |
| 15 | The Boston Beer Company | $38,282 | $18.40 |
| 16 | Beacon Hill Staffing Group | $38,201 | $18.37 |
| 17 | Lake Naomi Club | $38,044 | $18.29 |
| 18 | Anthony | $38,029 | $18.28 |
| 19 | The Cheesecake Factory | $37,912 | $18.23 |
| 20 | City Year | $37,865 | $18.20 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Server salary trends
The average server salary has risen by $6,512 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average server earned $23,389 annually, but today, they earn $29,901 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for servers over the last decade.
Compare server salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average server salary over time
Compare server salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Server salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,900 | $14.38 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $28,800 | $13.86 | +4.8% |
| 2023 | $27,400 | $13.19 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $26,200 | $12.61 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $25,200 | $12.10 | +3.7% |
Recently added server salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon Engineering | Site Host | San Antonio, TX | 06/30/2025 | $39,653 |
| Cpk Holdings Inc. | Host | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/30/2025 | $29,218 |
| Cpk Holdings Inc. | Server | Natick, MA | 06/30/2025 | $14,087 |
| Sonesta Hotels | The Chase Club Server | Saint Louis, MO | 06/30/2025 | $12,835 |
| Sonesta Hotels | Server | Columbus, OH | 06/30/2025 | $16,696 |
| MBK Real Estate | Server | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/30/2025 | $33,392 |
| MBK Real Estate | Server | Greenwood Village, CO | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Peopleready | Server Associate | Broken Arrow, OK | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
| Outrigger Resorts | Server-Holua | Kailua, HI | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
| Upward Projects | Host | Toone, TN | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
Server salary FAQs
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