How much does a Food Server/Bartender make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Food Server/Bartender in the United States is $23,864 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): $27,134
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $21,981 to $25,576
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): $23,738
Early Career (1-2 years): $41,246
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $55,671
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $83,860
Expert (over 8 years): $116,779
Levels
Salary
Food Serv... Level Food Server/Bartender
$23,738
Assistant... Level Food Server/Bartender
$41,246
Restauran... Level Food Server/Bartender
$55,671
Regional ... Level Food Server/Bartender
$83,860
Restauran... Level Food Server/Bartender
$116,779
$23,7380 yr
$41,246< 2 yrs
$55,6712-4 yrs
$83,8605-8 yrs
$116,779> 8 yrs
View as Table
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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: $26,422.
California: $26,322.
Massachusetts: $25,971.
District of Columbia$26,422
California$26,322
Massachusetts$25,971
Washington$25,876
New Jersey$25,866
Alaska$25,833
Connecticut$25,504
New York$25,370
Hawaii$24,943
Rhode Island$24,742
Maryland$24,606
Minnesota$24,420
Colorado$24,349
Illinois$24,325
Oregon$24,234
Delaware$24,167
New Hampshire$24,125
Virginia$24,031
Pennsylvania$23,757
Nevada$23,618
North Dakota$23,573
Michigan$23,501
Wisconsin$23,475
Vermont$23,423
Texas$23,277
Maine$23,267
Arizona$23,253
Ohio$23,236
Georgia$23,017
Indiana$22,907
Wyoming$22,886
Utah$22,852
Iowa$22,838
Kansas$22,723
Louisiana$22,690
North Carolina$22,678
Missouri$22,673
Florida$22,580
Montana$22,530
Nebraska$22,482
Kentucky$22,456
South Carolina$22,361
Tennessee$22,301
Idaho$22,277
New Mexico$22,103
Oklahoma$22,065
Alabama$21,924
South Dakota$21,688
Arkansas$21,559
West Virginia$21,490
Mississippi$21,282
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: $30,100
San Francisco: $29,770
Oakland: $29,143
San Jose, CA$30,100
San Francisco, CA$29,770
Oakland, CA$29,143
New York, NY$27,477
Paramus, NJ$27,143
Queens Village, NY$27,142
Passaic, NJ$27,119
Bergenfield, NJ$27,117
Stamford, CT$27,064
Huntington, NY$27,054
Newark, NJ$26,878
Bridgeport, CT$26,828
Vallejo, CA$26,780
New Brunswick, NJ$26,771
Petaluma, CA$26,756
Middlesex, NJ$26,711
Somerset, NJ$26,694
Santa Cruz, CA$26,663
Boston, MA$26,518
Monterey, CA$26,434
Seattle, WA$26,379
Santa Rosa, CA$26,375
Los Angeles, CA$26,367
Juneau, AK$26,305
Washington, DC$26,279
Orange, CA$26,194
Santa Ana, CA$26,131
Long Beach, CA$26,107
Anaheim, CA$26,103
Anchorage, AK$26,091
Santa Maria, CA$26,019
Everett, WA$26,014
Danbury, CT$25,930
Bremerton, WA$25,897
Tacoma, WA$25,811
New Suffolk, NY$25,811
Sacramento, CA$25,804
Santa Barbara, CA$25,778
Trenton, NJ$25,752
San Diego, CA$25,752
Brockton, MA$25,725
Fairbanks, AK$25,667
Lompoc, CA$25,606
Lowell, MA$25,587
Ventura, CA$25,582
Nashua, NH$25,578
Stockton, CA$25,575
Modesto, CA$25,401
Poughkeepsie, NY$25,348
Olympia, WA$25,303
Kennewick, WA$25,303
New Haven, CT$25,294
Lawrence, MA$25,208
Hartford, CT$25,184
Riverside, CA$25,179
New Bedford, MA$25,155
Richland, WA$25,155
Bakersfield, CA$25,122
San Bernardino, CA$25,112
New Britain, CT$25,110
Atlantic City, NJ$25,110
New London, CT$25,100
Norwich, CT$25,093
Portsmouth, NH$25,088
Boulder, CO$25,038
Portland, OR$25,005
Worcester, MA$25,002
Minneapolis, MN$24,928
Philadelphia, PA$24,895
Honolulu, HI$24,816
Saint Paul, MN$24,805
Vineland, NJ$24,800
Providence, RI$24,730
Chicago, IL$24,661
Bellingham, WA$24,633
Springfield, MA$24,613
Baltimore, MD$24,606
Chico, CA$24,547
Pittsfield, MA$24,482
Manchester, NH$24,437
Spokane, WA$24,332
Denver, CO$24,329
Albany, NY$24,217
Troy, NY$24,208
Nassau, NY$24,182
Schenectady, NY$24,158
Wilmington, DE$24,139
Burlington, VT$24,105
Salem, OR$24,096
Portland, ME$24,022
Yakima, WA$23,998
Rochester, MN$23,924
Reno, NV$23,912
Fresno, CA$23,912
Milwaukee, WI$23,890
Detroit, MI$23,866
Ann Arbor, MI$23,862
Allentown, PA$23,859
Colorado Springs, CO$23,819
Syracuse, NY$23,807
Carson City, NV$23,807
Houston, TX$23,773
Eugene, OR$23,761
Gary, IN$23,733
Springfield, OR$23,714
Bismarck, ND$23,709
Galveston, TX$23,692
Medford, OR$23,656
Fort Collins, CO$23,647
Concord, NH$23,635
Austin, TX$23,628
Mesa, AZ$23,578
Reading, PA$23,575
Phoenix, AZ$23,573
Dallas, TX$23,566
Saint Cloud, MN$23,543
Madison, WI$23,511
Utica, NY$23,446
Rochester, NY$23,408
Des Moines, IA$23,406
Raleigh, NC$23,404
Atlanta, GA$23,368
Battle Creek, MI$23,361
Salt Lake City, UT$23,353
Lancaster, PA$23,318
Harrisburg, PA$23,284
Kansas City, MO$23,260
Champaign, IL$23,256
Kansas City, KS$23,256
Fort Worth, TX$23,253
Columbus, OH$23,249
Boca Raton, FL$23,244
Pittsburgh, PA$23,234
Richmond, VA$23,225
Indianapolis, IN$23,220
Cleveland, OH$23,217
Las Vegas, NV$23,189
Cincinnati, OH$23,189
Petersburg, VA$23,153
Huntsville, AL$23,117
Lansing, MI$23,101
Lebanon, PA$23,098
Pueblo, CO$23,096
Appleton, WI$23,089
Buffalo, NY$23,079
Dayton, OH$23,072
Racine, WI$23,067
Charlotte, NC$23,065
Saint Louis, MO$23,057
York, PA$23,043
Elkhart, IN$23,043
Gastonia, NC$23,039
Billings, MT$23,033
Beaumont, TX$23,026
Lorain, OH$23,022
Benton Harbor, MI$23,017
Toledo, OH$23,012
Binghamton, NY$23,000
Rock Hill, SC$22,998
Rockford, IL$22,986
Springfield, IL$22,976
Elyria, OH$22,974
Fargo, ND$22,974
Flagstaff, AZ$22,957
Fort Lauderdale, FL$22,943
Duluth, MN$22,929
Miami, FL$22,929
Cheyenne, WY$22,912
Grand Forks, ND$22,912
Bangor, ME$22,859
Cedar Rapids, IA$22,833
Durham, NC$22,823
Louisville, KY$22,821
Grand Rapids, MI$22,816
Hialeah, FL$22,814
Casper, WY$22,781
Scranton, PA$22,752
New Orleans, LA$22,745
Virginia Beach, VA$22,742
Akron, OH$22,731
Peoria, IL$22,700
Sarasota, FL$22,695
Nashville, TN$22,678
Omaha, NE$22,678
Green Bay, WI$22,678
Baton Rouge, LA$22,666
Charleston, SC$22,661
Jamestown, NY$22,649
Davenport, IA$22,649
Tucson, AZ$22,637
Saint Petersburg, FL$22,623
Tampa, FL$22,618
Evansville, IN$22,604
Port Arthur, TX$22,604
Bradenton, FL$22,595
Santa Fe, NM$22,552
Orlando, FL$22,509
Clearwater, FL$22,501
Canton, OH$22,451
La Crosse, WI$22,451
Albuquerque, NM$22,437
Newport News, VA$22,435
High Point, NC$22,427
Ogden, UT$22,418
Corpus Christi, TX$22,399
Norfolk, VA$22,385
Laramie, WY$22,385
Rock Island, IL$22,370
Saginaw, MI$22,365
Jacksonville, FL$22,363
Salisbury, NC$22,358
Boise, ID$22,354
Moline, IL$22,342
Fort Myers, FL$22,334
Memphis, TN$22,330
Tulsa, OK$22,318
Waterloo, IA$22,303
Spartanburg, SC$22,280
Lincoln, NE$22,268
Fort Wayne, IN$22,263
Provo, UT$22,260
Cedar Falls, IA$22,232
San Antonio, TX$22,222
Greensboro, NC$22,213
South Bend, IN$22,210
Savannah, GA$22,184
Muskegon, MI$22,175
Birmingham, AL$22,172
Winston Salem, NC$22,160
Lake Charles, LA$22,103
Anderson, IN$22,098
Lexington, KY$22,091
Augusta, GA$22,084
Greenville, SC$22,084
Lima, OH$22,065
Wichita, KS$22,062
Tuscaloosa, AL$22,062
Columbia, SC$22,041
Springfield, OH$22,036
Asheville, NC$21,998
Bloomington, IN$21,981
Knoxville, TN$21,895
Shreveport, LA$21,893
Wilmington, NC$21,862
Roanoke, VA$21,862
Topeka, KS$21,819
Frankfort, KY$21,816
Oklahoma City, OK$21,800
Chillicothe, OH$21,790
Longview, TX$21,788
Melbourne, FL$21,786
Sioux Falls, SD$21,747
Mobile, AL$21,745
Terre Haute, IN$21,735
Altoona, PA$21,721
Amarillo, TX$21,704
Killeen, TX$21,697
Fayetteville, AR$21,678
Chattanooga, TN$21,671
Sioux City, IA$21,650
Idaho Falls, ID$21,645
Lynchburg, VA$21,626
Gainesville, FL$21,595
Portsmouth, OH$21,583
Little Rock, AR$21,578
Lafayette, LA$21,568
Youngstown, OH$21,568
Daytona Beach, FL$21,554
Clarksville, TN$21,552
Pensacola, FL$21,549
Temple, TX$21,548
Hopkinsville, KY$21,478
Erie, PA$21,473
Florence, SC$21,463
Charleston, WV$21,425
Great Falls, MT$21,413
Macon, GA$21,380
Tallahassee, FL$21,377
Fayetteville, NC$21,373
Waco, TX$21,368
Helena, MT$21,351
Pine Bluff, AR$21,342
Vincennes, IN$21,313
Lubbock, TX$21,303
Alamogordo, NM$21,289
Twin Falls, ID$21,268
Rapid City, SD$21,261
Jackson, MS$21,218
Huntington, WV$21,216
Greenville, MS$21,215
Parkersburg, WV$21,191
Montgomery, AL$21,187
Wichita Falls, TX$21,163
Springfield, MO$21,163
Biloxi, MS$21,151
Monroe, LA$21,127
Johnstown, PA$21,110
Sumter, SC$21,101
Columbus, GA$21,098
Pascagoula, MS$21,053
Abilene, TX$21,053
Kingsport, TN$20,991
Albany, GA$20,991
Gulfport, MS$20,984
Alexandria, LA$20,905
Fort Smith, AR$20,845
El Paso, TX$20,781
Las Cruces, NM$20,673
Harlingen, TX$20,613
Pocatello, ID$20,609
Florence, AL$20,578
Brownsville, TX$20,573
Mcallen, TX$20,523
Dothan, AL$20,490
Columbus, MS$20,348
Altus, OK$20,237
Lawton, OK$20,191
Pierre, SD$20,106
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
$30,069
26%
Problem Solving
$24,580
3%
Collaboration
$24,580
3%
Team Management
$24,580
3%
Food Safety
$24,103
1%
Leadership
$24,103
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
$28,637
$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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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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