Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for food servers, nonrestaurant is $35,360, or $17.00 per hour. About 293,900 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $39,370 in New York to $27,200 in Louisiana.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $39,370 | $18.93 | 17,520 | 0.96 |
| 2 | California | $39,010 | $18.75 | 32,430 | 0.94 |
| 3 | Colorado | $38,900 | $18.70 | 7,750 | 1.43 |
| 4 | Washington | $38,870 | $18.69 | 8,050 | 1.20 |
| 5 | Alaska | $38,090 | $18.31 | 430 | 0.70 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $37,920 | $18.23 | 880 | 0.74 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $37,920 | $18.23 | 1,260 | 0.95 |
| 8 | Maine | $37,680 | $18.11 | 540 | 0.45 |
| 9 | Vermont | $37,540 | $18.05 | 780 | 1.36 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $36,910 | $17.75 | 1,630 | 2.01 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $36,750 | $17.67 | 5,830 | 0.85 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $36,710 | $17.65 | 1,770 | 1.37 |
| 13 | Maryland | $36,650 | $17.62 | 6,600 | 1.26 |
| 14 | Oregon | $36,620 | $17.61 | 4,420 | 1.19 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $36,390 | $17.50 | 11,400 | 1.41 |
| 16 | Nevada | $36,030 | $17.32 | 1,820 | 0.62 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $36,000 | $17.31 | 11,090 | 1.99 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $35,950 | $17.29 | 5,050 | 1.58 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $35,740 | $17.19 | 670 | 0.41 |
| 20 | Arizona | $35,390 | $17.01 | 4,620 | 0.75 |
| 21 | Virginia | $35,090 | $16.87 | 7,420 | 0.96 |
| 22 | Illinois | $35,080 | $16.87 | 17,560 | 1.52 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $34,860 | $16.76 | 1,020 | 1.08 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $34,670 | $16.67 | 6,680 | 1.20 |
| 25 | Michigan | $34,260 | $16.47 | 7,700 | 0.93 |
| 26 | Idaho | $34,220 | $16.45 | 930 | 0.58 |
| 27 | Florida | $33,930 | $16.31 | 19,240 | 1.03 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $33,300 | $16.01 | 13,940 | 1.22 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $33,090 | $15.91 | 250 | 0.47 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $32,200 | $15.48 | 3,660 | 0.97 |
| 31 | Montana | $32,090 | $15.43 | 1,050 | 1.09 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $31,980 | $15.38 | 160 | 0.18 |
| 33 | Missouri | $31,840 | $15.31 | 7,490 | 1.35 |
| 34 | Indiana | $31,840 | $15.31 | 3,900 | 0.64 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $31,740 | $15.26 | 2,990 | 0.69 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $31,540 | $15.17 | 3,800 | 1.96 |
| 37 | Georgia | $31,530 | $15.16 | 4,970 | 0.54 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $31,460 | $15.13 | 8,820 | 0.94 |
| 39 | Delaware | $31,430 | $15.11 | 1,010 | 1.10 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $30,670 | $14.75 | 5,230 | 0.84 |
| 41 | Ohio | $30,440 | $14.63 | 15,320 | 1.46 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $30,170 | $14.51 | 460 | 0.35 |
| 43 | Utah | $30,170 | $14.51 | 2,430 | 0.74 |
| 44 | Iowa | $30,110 | $14.48 | 5,270 | 1.79 |
| 45 | Texas | $29,300 | $14.09 | 14,340 | 0.54 |
| 46 | Kansas | $29,040 | $13.96 | 1,270 | 0.47 |
| 47 | Alabama | $29,000 | $13.94 | 2,920 | 0.73 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $28,490 | $13.70 | 1,760 | 0.55 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $27,600 | $13.27 | 3,540 | 1.44 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $27,250 | $13.10 | 1,860 | 0.84 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $27,200 | $13.08 | 2,380 | 0.65 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make?
The median annual wage for food servers, nonrestaurant in the United States is $35,360, or $17.00 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $28,030, and the top 10% earn $46,120.
How many food servers, nonrestaurant are employed in the U.S.?
About 293,900 people work as food servers, nonrestaurant nationwide.
Which state pays food servers, nonrestaurant the most?
New York pays the most at a median of $39,370, followed by California ($39,010) and Colorado ($38,900).
Which state pays food servers, nonrestaurant the least?
Louisiana has the lowest median at $27,200.
Where are food servers, nonrestaurant jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is North Dakota at 2.01×.