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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of food servers, nonrestaurant are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of food servers, nonrestaurant within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The food servers, nonrestaurant annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$22,680
25th Percentile Wage
$26,920
50th Percentile Wage
$30,300
75th Percentile Wage
$35,170
90th Percentile Wage
$41,920

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for food servers, nonrestaurant. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) food servers, nonrestaurant is $41,920. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $30,300. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $22,680. It is noted that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 84% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of food servers, nonrestaurant from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$30,300
5.18% 35.18%
2021
$28,730
9.82% -
2020
$25,910
5.71% -
2019
$24,430
4.67% -
2018
$23,290
4.16% -
2017
$22,320
4.84% -
2016
$21,240
3.86% -
2015
$20,420
2.55% -
2014
$19,900
-0.10% -
2013
$19,920
1.41% -
2012
$19,640
- -

Table 2. Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of food servers, nonrestaurant in 17 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for food servers, nonrestaurant occupations is the finance and insurance sector with an annual salary $58,760. The lowest paying sector is the transportation and warehousing sector (annual salary $26,710).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Finance and Insurance
$58,760
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$34,110
Manufacturing
$33,610
Wholesale Trade
$33,140
Federal, State, and Local Government
$32,910
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$32,510
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$31,200
Health Care and Social Assistance
$30,920
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$30,680
Educational Services
$30,020
Construction
$29,650
Retail Trade
$29,370
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$29,250
Accommodation and Food Services
$29,130
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$28,410
Information
$27,350
Transportation and Warehousing
$26,710

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Food Servers, Nonrestaurant by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only food servers, nonrestaurant salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of food servers, nonrestaurant in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $19,400 to $42,620. The highest paying state for food servers, nonrestaurant is Alaska with a median annual salary of $42,620. The lowest paying state is Guam with a median annual salary of $19,400. For more salary information of food servers, nonrestaurant profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Alaska
$42,620
District of Columbia
$37,050
New York
$36,610
Washington
$35,750
California
$34,860
Hawaii
$34,200
Oregon
$34,010
Massachusetts
$33,930
Colorado
$33,920
Connecticut
$33,360
Vermont
$33,310
New Jersey
$33,280
North Dakota
$32,600
Virgin Islands
$31,940
Arizona
$30,980
Minnesota
$30,950
Maryland
$30,760
New Hampshire
$30,560
South Dakota
$29,750
Missouri
$29,710
Kentucky
$29,580
Maine
$29,530
Illinois
$29,490
Montana
$28,900
Wisconsin
$28,840
Pennsylvania
$28,740
Michigan
$28,580
Rhode Island
$28,450
Virginia
$28,340
Idaho
$28,330
Nevada
$28,330
Delaware
$28,220
Iowa
$27,720
Wyoming
$27,720
Ohio
$27,720
North Carolina
$27,690
Florida
$27,560
Nebraska
$27,370
Georgia
$27,350
Indiana
$27,240
West Virginia
$26,250
New Mexico
$26,230
Texas
$26,010
South Carolina
$25,500
Arkansas
$25,100
Alabama
$24,330
Utah
$24,080
Louisiana
$22,340
Tennessee
$22,310
Kansas
$21,920
Oklahoma
$21,640
Mississippi
$21,270
Puerto Rico
$20,370
Guam
$19,400