How much does a Food Server/Bartender make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Food Server/Bartender in the United States is $23,850 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $11.
However, a Food Server/Bartender's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $27,117
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $21,969 to $25,560
Key Factors That Influence Food Server/Bartender Salaries
A Food Server/Bartender's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Food Server/Bartender Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Food Server/Bartender's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $23,725
Early Career (1-2 years): $41,248
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $55,667
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $83,887
Expert (over 8 years): $116,841
Levels
Salary
Food Serv... Level Food Server/Bartender
$23,725
Assistant... Level Food Server/Bartender
$41,248
Restauran... Level Food Server/Bartender
$55,667
Regional ... Level Food Server/Bartender
$83,887
Restauran... Level Food Server/Bartender
$116,841
$23,7250 yr
$41,248< 2 yrs
$55,6672-4 yrs
$83,8875-8 yrs
$116,841> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Food Server/Bartender Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Food Server/Bartenders.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $26,407.
California: $26,307.
Massachusetts: $25,956.
District of Columbia$26,407
California$26,307
Massachusetts$25,956
Washington$25,861
New Jersey$25,851
Alaska$25,818
Connecticut$25,489
New York$25,355
Hawaii$24,928
Rhode Island$24,728
Maryland$24,592
Minnesota$24,406
Colorado$24,334
Illinois$24,311
Oregon$24,220
Delaware$24,153
New Hampshire$24,111
Virginia$24,017
Pennsylvania$23,743
Nevada$23,605
North Dakota$23,559
Michigan$23,488
Wisconsin$23,462
Vermont$23,409
Texas$23,264
Maine$23,254
Arizona$23,240
Ohio$23,223
Georgia$23,004
Indiana$22,894
Wyoming$22,872
Utah$22,839
Iowa$22,825
Kansas$22,710
Louisiana$22,677
North Carolina$22,665
Missouri$22,660
Florida$22,567
Montana$22,517
Nebraska$22,469
Kentucky$22,443
South Carolina$22,348
Tennessee$22,288
Idaho$22,264
New Mexico$22,090
Oklahoma$22,052
Alabama$21,911
South Dakota$21,675
Arkansas$21,546
West Virginia$21,477
Mississippi$21,270
Top Paying Cities for Food Server/Bartenders
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $30,082
San Francisco: $29,753
Oakland: $29,126
San Jose, CA$30,082
San Francisco, CA$29,753
Oakland, CA$29,126
New York, NY$27,461
Paramus, NJ$27,127
Queens Village, NY$27,126
Passaic, NJ$27,103
Bergenfield, NJ$27,101
Stamford, CT$27,049
Huntington, NY$27,039
Newark, NJ$26,863
Bridgeport, CT$26,812
Vallejo, CA$26,765
New Brunswick, NJ$26,755
Petaluma, CA$26,741
Middlesex, NJ$26,696
Somerset, NJ$26,679
Santa Cruz, CA$26,648
Boston, MA$26,502
Monterey, CA$26,419
Seattle, WA$26,364
Santa Rosa, CA$26,359
Los Angeles, CA$26,352
Juneau, AK$26,290
Washington, DC$26,264
Orange, CA$26,179
Santa Ana, CA$26,116
Long Beach, CA$26,092
Anaheim, CA$26,087
Anchorage, AK$26,076
Santa Maria, CA$26,004
Everett, WA$25,999
Danbury, CT$25,915
Bremerton, WA$25,882
Tacoma, WA$25,796
New Suffolk, NY$25,796
Sacramento, CA$25,789
Santa Barbara, CA$25,763
Trenton, NJ$25,737
San Diego, CA$25,737
Brockton, MA$25,711
Fairbanks, AK$25,652
Lompoc, CA$25,591
Lowell, MA$25,572
Ventura, CA$25,568
Nashua, NH$25,563
Stockton, CA$25,560
Modesto, CA$25,386
Poughkeepsie, NY$25,334
Olympia, WA$25,288
Kennewick, WA$25,288
New Haven, CT$25,279
Lawrence, MA$25,193
Hartford, CT$25,169
Riverside, CA$25,164
New Bedford, MA$25,141
Richland, WA$25,141
Bakersfield, CA$25,107
San Bernardino, CA$25,098
New Britain, CT$25,095
Atlantic City, NJ$25,095
New London, CT$25,086
Norwich, CT$25,079
Portsmouth, NH$25,074
Boulder, CO$25,023
Portland, OR$24,990
Worcester, MA$24,988
Minneapolis, MN$24,914
Philadelphia, PA$24,881
Honolulu, HI$24,802
Saint Paul, MN$24,790
Vineland, NJ$24,785
Providence, RI$24,716
Chicago, IL$24,647
Bellingham, WA$24,618
Springfield, MA$24,599
Baltimore, MD$24,592
Chico, CA$24,532
Pittsfield, MA$24,468
Manchester, NH$24,423
Spokane, WA$24,318
Denver, CO$24,315
Albany, NY$24,203
Troy, NY$24,194
Nassau, NY$24,168
Schenectady, NY$24,144
Wilmington, DE$24,125
Burlington, VT$24,091
Salem, OR$24,082
Portland, ME$24,008
Yakima, WA$23,984
Rochester, MN$23,910
Reno, NV$23,898
Fresno, CA$23,898
Milwaukee, WI$23,877
Detroit, MI$23,853
Ann Arbor, MI$23,849
Allentown, PA$23,846
Colorado Springs, CO$23,805
Syracuse, NY$23,793
Carson City, NV$23,793
Houston, TX$23,760
Eugene, OR$23,748
Gary, IN$23,719
Springfield, OR$23,700
Bismarck, ND$23,695
Galveston, TX$23,679
Medford, OR$23,643
Fort Collins, CO$23,633
Concord, NH$23,621
Austin, TX$23,614
Mesa, AZ$23,564
Reading, PA$23,562
Phoenix, AZ$23,559
Dallas, TX$23,552
Saint Cloud, MN$23,529
Madison, WI$23,497
Utica, NY$23,433
Rochester, NY$23,395
Des Moines, IA$23,392
Raleigh, NC$23,390
Atlanta, GA$23,354
Battle Creek, MI$23,347
Salt Lake City, UT$23,340
Lancaster, PA$23,304
Harrisburg, PA$23,271
Kansas City, MO$23,247
Champaign, IL$23,242
Kansas City, KS$23,242
Fort Worth, TX$23,240
Columbus, OH$23,236
Boca Raton, FL$23,230
Pittsburgh, PA$23,221
Richmond, VA$23,211
Indianapolis, IN$23,206
Cleveland, OH$23,204
Las Vegas, NV$23,175
Cincinnati, OH$23,175
Petersburg, VA$23,140
Huntsville, AL$23,104
Lansing, MI$23,088
Lebanon, PA$23,085
Pueblo, CO$23,082
Appleton, WI$23,075
Buffalo, NY$23,066
Dayton, OH$23,058
Racine, WI$23,054
Charlotte, NC$23,051
Saint Louis, MO$23,044
York, PA$23,030
Elkhart, IN$23,030
Gastonia, NC$23,025
Billings, MT$23,020
Beaumont, TX$23,013
Lorain, OH$23,008
Benton Harbor, MI$23,004
Toledo, OH$22,999
Binghamton, NY$22,987
Rock Hill, SC$22,985
Rockford, IL$22,973
Springfield, IL$22,963
Elyria, OH$22,961
Fargo, ND$22,961
Flagstaff, AZ$22,944
Fort Lauderdale, FL$22,930
Duluth, MN$22,915
Miami, FL$22,915
Cheyenne, WY$22,899
Grand Forks, ND$22,899
Bangor, ME$22,846
Cedar Rapids, IA$22,820
Durham, NC$22,810
Louisville, KY$22,808
Grand Rapids, MI$22,803
Hialeah, FL$22,801
Casper, WY$22,767
Scranton, PA$22,739
New Orleans, LA$22,732
Virginia Beach, VA$22,729
Akron, OH$22,717
Peoria, IL$22,686
Sarasota, FL$22,682
Nashville, TN$22,665
Omaha, NE$22,665
Green Bay, WI$22,665
Baton Rouge, LA$22,653
Charleston, SC$22,648
Jamestown, NY$22,636
Davenport, IA$22,636
Tucson, AZ$22,624
Saint Petersburg, FL$22,610
Tampa, FL$22,605
Evansville, IN$22,591
Port Arthur, TX$22,591
Bradenton, FL$22,581
Santa Fe, NM$22,539
Orlando, FL$22,496
Clearwater, FL$22,488
Canton, OH$22,438
La Crosse, WI$22,438
Albuquerque, NM$22,424
Newport News, VA$22,422
High Point, NC$22,415
Ogden, UT$22,405
Corpus Christi, TX$22,386
Norfolk, VA$22,372
Laramie, WY$22,372
Rock Island, IL$22,357
Saginaw, MI$22,353
Jacksonville, FL$22,350
Salisbury, NC$22,345
Boise, ID$22,341
Moline, IL$22,329
Fort Myers, FL$22,321
Memphis, TN$22,317
Tulsa, OK$22,305
Waterloo, IA$22,290
Spartanburg, SC$22,267
Lincoln, NE$22,255
Fort Wayne, IN$22,250
Provo, UT$22,248
Cedar Falls, IA$22,219
San Antonio, TX$22,209
Greensboro, NC$22,200
South Bend, IN$22,197
Savannah, GA$22,171
Muskegon, MI$22,162
Birmingham, AL$22,159
Winston Salem, NC$22,148
Lake Charles, LA$22,090
Anderson, IN$22,085
Lexington, KY$22,078
Augusta, GA$22,071
Greenville, SC$22,071
Lima, OH$22,052
Wichita, KS$22,050
Tuscaloosa, AL$22,050
Columbia, SC$22,028
Springfield, OH$22,023
Asheville, NC$21,985
Bloomington, IN$21,969
Knoxville, TN$21,883
Shreveport, LA$21,880
Wilmington, NC$21,849
Roanoke, VA$21,849
Topeka, KS$21,806
Frankfort, KY$21,804
Oklahoma City, OK$21,787
Chillicothe, OH$21,778
Longview, TX$21,775
Melbourne, FL$21,773
Sioux Falls, SD$21,735
Mobile, AL$21,732
Terre Haute, IN$21,723
Altoona, PA$21,709
Amarillo, TX$21,692
Killeen, TX$21,685
Fayetteville, AR$21,666
Chattanooga, TN$21,658
Sioux City, IA$21,637
Idaho Falls, ID$21,632
Lynchburg, VA$21,613
Gainesville, FL$21,582
Portsmouth, OH$21,570
Little Rock, AR$21,565
Lafayette, LA$21,556
Youngstown, OH$21,556
Daytona Beach, FL$21,542
Clarksville, TN$21,539
Pensacola, FL$21,537
Temple, TX$21,535
Hopkinsville, KY$21,465
Erie, PA$21,460
Florence, SC$21,451
Charleston, WV$21,413
Great Falls, MT$21,401
Macon, GA$21,367
Tallahassee, FL$21,365
Fayetteville, NC$21,360
Waco, TX$21,356
Helena, MT$21,339
Pine Bluff, AR$21,330
Vincennes, IN$21,301
Lubbock, TX$21,291
Alamogordo, NM$21,277
Twin Falls, ID$21,255
Rapid City, SD$21,248
Jackson, MS$21,205
Huntington, WV$21,204
Greenville, MS$21,203
Parkersburg, WV$21,179
Montgomery, AL$21,174
Wichita Falls, TX$21,150
Springfield, MO$21,150
Biloxi, MS$21,139
Monroe, LA$21,115
Johnstown, PA$21,098
Sumter, SC$21,088
Columbus, GA$21,086
Pascagoula, MS$21,041
Abilene, TX$21,041
Kingsport, TN$20,979
Albany, GA$20,979
Gulfport, MS$20,972
Alexandria, LA$20,893
Fort Smith, AR$20,833
El Paso, TX$20,769
Las Cruces, NM$20,662
Harlingen, TX$20,601
Pocatello, ID$20,597
Florence, AL$20,566
Brownsville, TX$20,561
Mcallen, TX$20,511
Dothan, AL$20,478
Columbus, MS$20,336
Altus, OK$20,225
Lawton, OK$20,180
Pierre, SD$20,094
What Skills Can Increase a Food Server/Bartender's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 11.92% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Point of Sale (Mentioned in 2.74% Job Postings): Accepting payments from customers for goods and services either in person or online.
Product Quality (Mentioned in 1.88% Job Postings): Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Customer Service
11.92%
Point of Sale
2.74%
Product Quality
1.88%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Food Server/Bartender's salary.
Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 26%.
Problem Solving: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Products and Services
$30,051
26%
Problem Solving
$24,566
3%
Collaboration
$24,566
3%
Team Management
$24,566
3%
Food Safety
$24,089
1%
Leadership
$24,089
1%
Get Latest Data
Food Server/Bartender Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Food Server/Bartender roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Food Server/Bartender positions in Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Food Server/Bartender as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Food Server/Bartender
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$28,620
$14.0
20%
Food Server/Bartender Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Food Server/Bartender's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Food Server/Bartender can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $29,959 in 2023
to around $29,469 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Food Server/Bartender salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Food Server/Bartender Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$29,959
2024
$29,814
2025
$29,469
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$29,959
2024
$29,814
2025
$29,469
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Food Server/Bartender
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Food Server/Bartender
Here are companies hiring for Food Server/Bartender and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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Find your next job here. Will train the right candidate. Average salaries from $12 - $22/Hr, full time and part time shifts available now. Hiring for: Cafe...
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FAQ about Food Server/Bartender
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Food Server/Bartender?
The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Food Server/Bartender roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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