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Food Server (Non-Restaurant) Salary by State (2026)
Food Server (Non-Restaurant)s (Food Servers, Nonrestaurant) hold 293,910 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $34,535 per year, but the median ranges from $27,200 in Louisiana to $39,370 in New York. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Food Server (Non-Restaurant) salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| New York | $39,370 | 17,520 |
| California | $39,010 | 32,430 |
| Colorado | $38,900 | 7,750 |
| Washington | $38,870 | 8,050 |
| Alaska | $38,090 | 430 |
| District of Columbia | $37,920 | 1,260 |
| Hawaii | $37,920 | 880 |
| Maine | $37,680 | 540 |
| Vermont | $37,540 | 780 |
| North Dakota | $36,910 | 1,630 |
| Massachusetts | $36,750 | 5,830 |
| New Hampshire | $36,710 | 1,770 |
| Maryland | $36,650 | 6,600 |
| Oregon | $36,620 | 4,420 |
| New Jersey | $36,390 | 11,400 |
| Nevada | $36,030 | 1,820 |
| Minnesota | $36,000 | 11,090 |
| Connecticut | $35,950 | 5,050 |
| New Mexico | $35,740 | 670 |
| Arizona | $35,390 | 4,620 |
| Virginia | $35,090 | 7,420 |
| Illinois | $35,080 | 17,560 |
| Rhode Island | $34,860 | 1,020 |
| Wisconsin | $34,670 | 6,680 |
| Michigan | $34,260 | 7,700 |
| Idaho | $34,220 | 930 |
| Florida | $33,930 | 19,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $33,300 | 13,940 |
| Wyoming | $33,090 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $32,200 | 3,660 |
| Montana | $32,090 | 1,050 |
| South Dakota | $31,980 | 160 |
| Indiana | $31,840 | 3,900 |
| Missouri | $31,840 | 7,490 |
| South Carolina | $31,740 | 2,990 |
| Nebraska | $31,540 | 3,800 |
| Georgia | $31,530 | 4,970 |
| North Carolina | $31,460 | 8,820 |
| Delaware | $31,430 | 1,010 |
| Tennessee | $30,670 | 5,230 |
| Ohio | $30,440 | 15,320 |
| Utah | $30,170 | 2,430 |
| West Virginia | $30,170 | 460 |
| Iowa | $30,110 | 5,270 |
| Texas | $29,300 | 14,340 |
| Kansas | $29,040 | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $29,000 | 2,920 |
| Oklahoma | $28,490 | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $27,600 | 3,540 |
| Mississippi | $27,250 | 1,860 |
| Louisiana | $27,200 | 2,380 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Food Server (Non-Restaurant) salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Food Server (Non-Restaurant) salary in the US is about $34,535 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 293,910 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Food Server (Non-Restaurant)s the most?
- New York has the highest median Food Server (Non-Restaurant) salary at $39,370 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Food Server (Non-Restaurant)s the least?
- Louisiana has the lowest median at $27,200 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, code 35-3041). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.