SOC 35-3041 · Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant wages by metro
National median annual wage
$35,360
- 10th percentile
- $28,030
- 25th percentile
- $31,190
- Median
- $35,360
- 75th percentile
- $38,500
- 90th percentile
- $46,120
- Mean
- $36,140
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 293,900.
That median is 30.6% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 200 | $37,920 | $62,960 | $78,000 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,960 | $40,390 | $46,210 | $65,030 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 50 | $35,450 | $45,030 | $55,490 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,160 | $38,630 | $44,710 | $67,400 |
| Napa, CA | 240 | $34,810 | $41,850 | $76,090 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 310 | $35,470 | $41,090 | $56,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,800 | $37,820 | $40,640 | $56,420 |
| Ithaca, NY | 120 | $33,690 | $40,240 | $45,250 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 520 | $34,480 | $40,180 | $55,360 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,570 | $31,910 | $39,850 | $51,440 |
| Lawton, OK | 50 | $22,570 | $39,720 | $39,720 |
| Anchorage, AK | 250 | $25,140 | $39,550 | $45,840 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 19,450 | $33,250 | $39,120 | $52,080 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 50 | $22,780 | $38,980 | $45,090 |
| Boulder, CO | 650 | $31,810 | $38,930 | $46,800 |
| Vallejo, CA | 300 | $36,890 | $38,910 | $68,190 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 450 | $34,660 | $38,740 | $49,110 |
| Salinas, CA | 400 | $35,090 | $38,660 | $50,990 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,980 | $35,400 | $38,460 | $61,300 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,850 | $35,120 | $38,350 | $56,160 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 19,450 | $33,250 | $39,120 | $52,080 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 12,200 | $31,200 | $35,670 | $44,010 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,850 | $35,120 | $38,350 | $56,160 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 7,610 | $29,130 | $33,300 | $44,410 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 6,740 | $34,420 | $36,420 | $45,040 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,760 | $34,590 | $37,540 | $47,670 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,980 | $29,210 | $34,950 | $39,520 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,800 | $37,820 | $40,640 | $56,420 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,570 | $31,910 | $39,850 | $51,440 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,370 | $33,970 | $37,330 | $48,110 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 4,300 | $29,900 | $32,170 | $39,950 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,160 | $38,630 | $44,710 | $67,400 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,100 | $24,450 | $31,160 | $37,680 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,540 | $31,550 | $35,710 | $40,990 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 3,490 | $27,820 | $32,070 | $38,190 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 3,480 | $23,070 | $29,050 | $35,900 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,400 | $35,240 | $38,260 | $50,070 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 3,250 | $31,030 | $34,340 | $39,510 |
| Cleveland, OH | 3,230 | $24,830 | $30,350 | $38,350 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,230 | $33,560 | $35,690 | $46,370 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 17,520 | $33,110 | $39,370 | $52,630 |
| California | 32,430 | $35,120 | $39,010 | $57,550 |
| Colorado | 7,750 | $31,860 | $38,900 | $51,440 |
| Washington | 8,050 | $35,050 | $38,870 | $50,910 |
| Alaska | 430 | $25,140 | $38,090 | $46,160 |
| District of Columbia | 1,260 | $36,400 | $37,920 | $54,650 |
| Hawaii | 880 | $31,250 | $37,920 | $68,170 |
| Maine | 540 | $31,570 | $37,680 | $45,000 |
| Vermont | 780 | $32,970 | $37,540 | $54,380 |
| North Dakota | 1,630 | $31,140 | $36,910 | $46,320 |
| Massachusetts | 5,830 | $33,990 | $36,750 | $47,630 |
| New Hampshire | 1,770 | $28,710 | $36,710 | $46,090 |
| Maryland | 6,600 | $31,840 | $36,650 | $42,930 |
| Oregon | 4,420 | $33,240 | $36,620 | $48,660 |
| New Jersey | 11,400 | $32,220 | $36,390 | $43,800 |
| Nevada | 1,820 | $29,110 | $36,030 | $51,000 |
| Minnesota | 11,090 | $31,760 | $36,000 | $44,370 |
| Connecticut | 5,050 | $34,040 | $35,950 | $42,850 |
| New Mexico | 670 | $29,750 | $35,740 | $45,190 |
| Arizona | 4,620 | $31,400 | $35,390 | $46,370 |
| Virginia | 7,420 | $29,040 | $35,090 | $42,930 |
| Illinois | 17,560 | $31,200 | $35,080 | $41,960 |
| Rhode Island | 1,020 | $31,320 | $34,860 | $42,990 |
| Wisconsin | 6,680 | $28,640 | $34,670 | $44,080 |
| Michigan | 7,700 | $28,730 | $34,260 | $38,180 |
| Idaho | 930 | $27,980 | $34,220 | $39,210 |
| Florida | 19,240 | $29,210 | $33,930 | $39,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,940 | $27,450 | $33,300 | $42,980 |
| Wyoming | 250 | $21,840 | $33,090 | $42,740 |
| Kentucky | 3,660 | $25,790 | $32,200 | $42,060 |
| Montana | 1,050 | $23,010 | $32,090 | $38,210 |
| South Dakota | 160 | $26,810 | $31,980 | $43,070 |
| Indiana | 3,900 | $26,360 | $31,840 | $38,350 |
| Missouri | 7,490 | $28,600 | $31,840 | $38,370 |
| South Carolina | 2,990 | $19,100 | $31,740 | $37,480 |
| Nebraska | 3,800 | $28,790 | $31,540 | $38,510 |
| Georgia | 4,970 | $25,850 | $31,530 | $39,610 |
| North Carolina | 8,820 | $23,760 | $31,460 | $40,110 |
| Delaware | 1,010 | $31,200 | $31,430 | $44,730 |
| Tennessee | 5,230 | $22,620 | $30,670 | $46,750 |
| Ohio | 15,320 | $26,450 | $30,440 | $38,310 |
| Utah | 2,430 | $23,120 | $30,170 | $41,600 |
| West Virginia | 460 | $22,480 | $30,170 | $38,280 |
| Iowa | 5,270 | $27,020 | $30,110 | $36,600 |
| Virgin Islands | Not available | $27,240 | $29,760 | $71,660 |
| Texas | 14,340 | $21,930 | $29,300 | $36,930 |
| Kansas | 1,270 | $21,770 | $29,040 | $35,250 |
| Alabama | 2,920 | $23,080 | $29,000 | $35,770 |
| Oklahoma | 1,760 | $23,030 | $28,490 | $37,850 |
| Arkansas | 3,540 | $23,920 | $27,600 | $34,430 |
| Mississippi | 1,860 | $19,940 | $27,250 | $34,270 |
| Louisiana | 2,380 | $18,580 | $27,200 | $32,540 |
| Puerto Rico | 540 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $24,690 |
Other food preparation and serving related occupations
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Cooks, Restaurant
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
- Food Preparation Workers
- Bartenders
- Cooks, Fast Food
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant is $35,360. Employment is 293,900.
How does Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant is 30.6% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Kahului-Wailuku, HI is highest on this page's list at $62,960.