Pay, demand and where to work, from BLS data with the year on every table.
low → high: location quotient
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Food servers, nonrestaurant (SOC 35-3041) employed 293,900 people in May 2025. The median pay is $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour); the lowest-paid 10% earn under $28,030 and the highest-paid 10% more than $46,120. BLS projects its employment to change by +4.5% between 2025 and 2035 (about 48,800 openings a year including replacements). The typical way in: No formal educational credential.
Highest median pay: New York ($39,370), California ($39,010), Colorado ($38,900). Most jobs: California (32,430), Florida (19,240), Illinois (17,560).
| Measure ⇅ | Annual ⇅ | Hourly equivalent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,030 | $13.48 |
| 25th percentile | $31,190 | $15.00 |
| Median | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| Mean | $36,140 | $17.38 |
| 75th percentile | $38,500 | $18.51 |
| 90th percentile (experienced) | $46,120 | $22.17 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
Hourly equivalents divide by 2,080 hours. Pay above $239,200 is shown as "≥ $239,200" (BLS top code).
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Jobs 2025 | 296,300 |
| Jobs 2035 (projected) | 309,600 |
| Change in jobs | 13,300 |
| Percent change | +4.5% |
| Openings a year (growth + replacements) | 48,800 |
| Self-employed share | 0.2% |
| Typical entry education | No formal educational credential |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
Licences and certifications are set by states and employers; the education shown is the usual entry requirement, not a legal one.
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,920 | 0.73 | $29,000 | $23,080 | $35,770 | -18% | 45% |
| Alaska | 430 | 0.70 | $38,090 | $25,140 | $46,160 | +8% | 45% |
| Arizona | 4,620 | 0.75 | $35,390 | $31,400 | $46,370 | +0% | 57% |
| Arkansas | 3,540 | 1.44 | $27,600 | $23,920 | $34,430 | -22% | 43% |
| California | 32,430 | 0.94 | $39,010 | $35,120 | $57,550 | +10% | 65% |
| Colorado | 7,750 | 1.43 | $38,900 | $31,860 | $51,440 | +10% | 56% |
| Connecticut | 5,050 | 1.58 | $35,950 | $34,040 | $42,850 | +2% | 52% |
| Delaware | 1,010 | 1.10 | $31,430 | $31,200 | $44,730 | -11% | 58% |
| District of Columbia | 1,260 | 0.95 | $37,920 | $36,400 | $54,650 | +7% | 61% |
| Florida | 19,240 | 1.03 | $33,930 | $29,210 | $39,000 | -4% | 64% |
| Georgia | 4,970 | 0.54 | $31,530 | $25,850 | $39,610 | -11% | 57% |
| Hawaii | 880 | 0.74 | $37,920 | $31,250 | $68,170 | +7% | 61% |
| Idaho | 930 | 0.58 | $34,220 | $27,980 | $39,210 | -3% | 49% |
| Illinois | 17,560 | 1.52 | $35,080 | $31,200 | $41,960 | -1% | 45% |
| Indiana | 3,900 | 0.64 | $31,840 | $26,360 | $38,350 | -10% | 42% |
| Iowa | 5,270 | 1.79 | $30,110 | $27,020 | $36,600 | -15% | 39% |
| Kansas | 1,270 | 0.47 | $29,040 | $21,770 | $35,250 | -18% | 45% |
| Kentucky | 3,660 | 0.97 | $32,200 | $25,790 | $42,060 | -9% | 37% |
| Louisiana | 2,380 | 0.65 | $27,200 | $18,580 | $32,540 | -23% | 47% |
| Maine | 540 | 0.45 | $37,680 | $31,570 | $45,000 | +7% | 39% |
| Maryland | 6,600 | 1.26 | $36,650 | $31,840 | $42,930 | +4% | 56% |
| Massachusetts | 5,830 | 0.85 | $36,750 | $33,990 | $47,630 | +4% | 60% |
| Michigan | 7,700 | 0.93 | $34,260 | $28,730 | $38,180 | -3% | 41% |
| Minnesota | 11,090 | 1.99 | $36,000 | $31,760 | $44,370 | +2% | 43% |
| Mississippi | 1,860 | 0.84 | $27,250 | $19,940 | $34,270 | -23% | 44% |
| Missouri | 7,490 | 1.35 | $31,840 | $28,600 | $38,370 | -10% | 40% |
| Montana | 1,050 | 1.09 | $32,090 | $23,010 | $38,210 | -9% | 44% |
| Nebraska | 3,800 | 1.96 | $31,540 | $28,790 | $38,510 | -11% | 42% |
| Nevada | 1,820 | 0.62 | $36,030 | $29,110 | $51,000 | +2% | 57% |
| New Hampshire | 1,770 | 1.37 | $36,710 | $28,710 | $46,090 | +4% | 51% |
| New Jersey | 11,400 | 1.41 | $36,390 | $32,220 | $43,800 | +3% | 59% |
| New Mexico | 670 | 0.41 | $35,740 | $29,750 | $45,190 | +1% | 38% |
| New York | 17,520 | 0.96 | $39,370 | $33,110 | $52,630 | +11% | 50% |
| North Carolina | 8,820 | 0.94 | $31,460 | $23,760 | $40,110 | -11% | 51% |
| North Dakota | 1,630 | 2.01 | $36,910 | $31,140 | $46,320 | +4% | 32% |
| Ohio | 15,320 | 1.46 | $30,440 | $26,450 | $38,310 | -14% | 43% |
| Oklahoma | 1,760 | 0.55 | $28,490 | $23,030 | $37,850 | -19% | 44% |
| Oregon | 4,420 | 1.19 | $36,620 | $33,240 | $48,660 | +4% | 52% |
| Pennsylvania | 13,940 | 1.22 | $33,300 | $27,450 | $42,980 | -6% | 45% |
| Rhode Island | 1,020 | 1.08 | $34,860 | $31,320 | $42,990 | -1% | 49% |
| South Carolina | 2,990 | 0.69 | $31,740 | $19,100 | $37,480 | -10% | 48% |
| South Dakota | 160 | 0.18 | $31,980 | $26,810 | $43,070 | -10% | 37% |
| Tennessee | 5,230 | 0.84 | $30,670 | $22,620 | $46,750 | -13% | 50% |
| Texas | 14,340 | 0.54 | $29,300 | $21,930 | $36,930 | -17% | 60% |
| Utah | 2,430 | 0.74 | $30,170 | $23,120 | $41,600 | -15% | 63% |
| Vermont | 780 | 1.36 | $37,540 | $32,970 | $54,380 | +6% | 42% |
| Virginia | 7,420 | 0.96 | $35,090 | $29,040 | $42,930 | -1% | 56% |
| Washington | 8,050 | 1.20 | $38,870 | $35,050 | $50,910 | +10% | 56% |
| West Virginia | 460 | 0.35 | $30,170 | $22,480 | $38,280 | -15% | 35% |
| Wisconsin | 6,680 | 1.20 | $34,670 | $28,640 | $44,080 | -2% | 40% |
| Wyoming | 250 | 0.47 | $33,090 | $21,840 | $42,740 | -6% | 36% |
Location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in the state than in the nation. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure. Rent uses the state median gross rent (ACS).
The 60 highest-paying metropolitan areas among those with at least 300 jobs in this occupation.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,960 | $46,210 | $40,390 | $65,030 | 0.91 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,160 | $44,710 | $38,630 | $67,400 | 0.93 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 310 | $41,090 | $35,470 | $56,050 | 1.38 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,800 | $40,640 | $37,820 | $56,420 | 1.22 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 520 | $40,180 | $34,480 | $55,360 | 1.34 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,570 | $39,850 | $31,910 | $51,440 | 1.50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 19,450 | $39,120 | $33,250 | $52,080 | 1.08 |
| Boulder, CO | 650 | $38,930 | $31,810 | $46,800 | 1.80 |
| Vallejo, CA | 300 | $38,910 | $36,890 | $68,190 | 1.10 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 450 | $38,740 | $34,660 | $49,110 | 1.18 |
| Salinas, CA | 400 | $38,660 | $35,090 | $50,990 | 1.13 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,980 | $38,460 | $35,400 | $61,300 | 0.97 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,850 | $38,350 | $35,120 | $56,160 | 1.00 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,400 | $38,260 | $35,240 | $50,070 | 1.17 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 310 | $38,150 | $34,910 | $58,940 | 1.35 |
| Modesto, CA | 360 | $38,010 | $35,620 | $49,290 | 0.97 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,760 | $37,540 | $34,590 | $47,670 | 0.97 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 700 | $37,480 | $35,010 | $49,890 | 1.15 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 500 | $37,380 | $34,320 | $54,200 | 0.92 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,370 | $37,330 | $33,970 | $48,110 | 0.85 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,720 | $37,230 | $35,340 | $49,050 | 1.19 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 1,380 | $37,210 | $34,010 | $49,500 | 1.81 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 490 | $37,140 | $34,320 | $48,350 | 0.77 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2,290 | $37,120 | $34,320 | $51,050 | 0.71 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 430 | $37,080 | $32,150 | $45,980 | 1.33 |
| Bismarck, ND | 350 | $37,010 | $31,720 | $46,600 | 2.56 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 550 | $36,890 | $28,210 | $47,490 | 1.47 |
| Fresno, CA | 830 | $36,770 | $34,490 | $49,810 | 0.92 |
| Syracuse, NY | 540 | $36,770 | $32,300 | $44,570 | 0.96 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 540 | $36,720 | $31,670 | $46,690 | 1.93 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 1,420 | $36,720 | $29,280 | $52,030 | 0.66 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 770 | $36,690 | $32,200 | $46,170 | 1.29 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 530 | $36,650 | $31,140 | $59,690 | 0.62 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 6,740 | $36,420 | $34,420 | $45,040 | 1.83 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 790 | $36,190 | $34,650 | $52,870 | 1.63 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 540 | $36,160 | $32,240 | $48,740 | 1.05 |
| Madison, WI | 820 | $36,110 | $29,200 | $45,960 | 1.07 |
| New Haven, CT | 820 | $35,940 | $34,710 | $38,770 | 1.55 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 670 | $35,880 | $31,030 | $43,750 | 2.84 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 400 | $35,850 | $34,150 | $38,620 | 1.68 |
| Worcester, MA | 750 | $35,790 | $32,150 | $44,710 | 1.13 |
| Rochester, NY | 1,300 | $35,780 | $32,240 | $43,930 | 1.40 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 450 | $35,740 | $32,220 | $43,600 | 1.00 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,540 | $35,710 | $31,550 | $40,990 | 1.38 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,230 | $35,690 | $33,560 | $46,370 | 0.72 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 12,200 | $35,670 | $31,200 | $44,010 | 1.43 |
| Rochester, MN | 590 | $35,630 | $31,510 | $46,990 | 2.55 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 820 | $35,550 | $32,240 | $43,430 | 0.97 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 510 | $35,540 | $32,220 | $43,630 | 1.61 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 1,800 | $35,520 | $34,010 | $39,470 | 1.59 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 630 | $35,310 | $30,340 | $46,980 | 1.92 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 440 | $35,190 | $26,260 | $47,850 | 1.04 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 3,210 | $35,170 | $29,510 | $37,840 | 0.89 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 330 | $35,160 | $29,920 | $43,460 | 0.43 |
| Asheville, NC | 420 | $35,040 | $24,690 | $39,640 | 1.23 |
| Springfield, MA | 340 | $34,970 | $31,510 | $43,720 | 0.89 |
| Richmond, VA | 1,250 | $34,960 | $29,290 | $40,130 | 1.00 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,980 | $34,950 | $29,210 | $39,520 | 0.94 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 2,080 | $34,900 | $28,930 | $45,060 | 1.34 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 1,510 | $34,870 | $31,350 | $42,960 | 1.12 |
The median is $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour); the lowest-paid tenth earn under $28,030 and the highest-paid tenth over $46,120 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
293,900 in May 2025, and BLS projects +4.5% growth to 2035.
The typical entry education is: No formal educational credential (BLS).
New York, with a median of $39,370 (among states with published figures).