How much do Food Servers, Nonrestaurant make in El Centro, CA?

Percentile spread

For Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, the published 10th percentile is $34,320 and the 90th percentile is $42,600. The difference is $8,280, which is 23.3% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $34,320 to the 75th at $42,220, covers $7,900.

The mean annual wage is $37,650, which sits above the median of $35,590. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The El Centro, CA median is 0.7% higher than the national median of $35,360 for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant. In 2024 national prices the local median is $37,395, which is 5.8% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 8.8% lower than the California median of $39,010.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for El Centro, CA is 95.174, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $35,590 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Food Servers, Nonrestaurant at $37,395 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

6 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant. El Centro, CA ranks 5th of 7 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is 82 miles away, with a median of $38,260 and employment of 3,400. That median is 7.5% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $34,195, against $37,395 here.
• Yuma, AZ is 86 miles away, with a median of $34,120 and employment of 100. That median is 4.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $36,805, against $37,395 here.
• Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA is 113 miles away, with a median of $37,120 and employment of 2,290. That median is 4.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $34,873, against $37,395 here.

Employment share

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant accounts for 0.08% of wage-and-salary employment in El Centro, CA (50 of 65,430). Nationally the occupation is 0.19% of employment (293,900 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.40 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.