Server career guide
A server, or waiter, takes care of guests at their table from the moment they sit down until they pay. Servers explain the menu, take orders, bring food and drinks, and make sure the meal goes well.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
- $35,230median annual wage (U.S.)
- $16.94median hourly wage
- 2,270,910people employed in the U.S.
- High School Diploma or the equivalentmost common required education
What a server does
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
Typical tasks
- Collect payments from customers.
- Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
- Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
A typical day
Before service, servers set tables, learn the specials and stock their stations. During service they look after a section of tables at once, timing orders with the kitchen and checking back at the right moments. After service comes side work: cleaning, rolling silverware, restocking and closing out checks.
Skills employers look for
These are the skills O*NET rates as most important for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Persuasion
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Food Production
- Mathematics
Tools and technology
Examples of technology used in this occupation, from O*NET: Facebook.
Education and training
When O*NET asked people in this occupation what education the job requires, the most common answers were:
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 58% of respondents
- Less than a High School Diploma: 32% of respondents
- Post-Secondary Certificate: 8% of respondents
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Server pay
The median annual wage for waiters and waitresses was $35,230 in May 2025 ($16.94 an hour). Half of workers earned between $27,750 and $47,110. BLS wage figures for this occupation include tips.
Highest-paying states
- Hawaii: $62,390 median
- Vermont: $59,140 median
- Washington: $56,130 median
- Oregon: $48,410 median
- District of Columbia: $47,850 median
States with the most servers
- California: 229,970 employed
- Florida: 207,180 employed
- Texas: 199,610 employed
- New York: 142,940 employed
- Pennsylvania: 82,300 employed
How to get hired
Many restaurants hire servers with no experience, often starting them as hosts, bussers or food runners. Employers look for a good memory, an easy way with people and the ability to stay organized under pressure. Restaurants that serve alcohol may require servers to complete alcohol service training, and the minimum age to serve alcohol varies by state.
Job titles you may see
Food Server, Server, Waiter, Waitress.
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Related career guides
Server salary by state · Server job description and interview questions
Sources and methodology
Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database
Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.
Frequently asked questions
What does a server do?
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
How much does a server make?
The median annual wage for waiters and waitresses in the United States was $35,230 in May 2025, or $16.94 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $18,100 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $64,720.
What education do you need to become a server?
In O*NET's survey of people in this occupation, the most common answer for required education was "High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)" (58% of respondents). O*NET classifies the occupation as "Very Little to Some Preparation Needed".
Which state pays servers the most?
Hawaii had the highest median annual wage for this occupation in May 2025, at $62,390, followed by Vermont ($59,140) and Washington ($56,130).
How many servers are there in the U.S.?
BLS estimated 2,270,910 people were employed as waiters and waitresses in May 2025. California employed the most, with 229,970.