Server salary in the United States
Servers in the U.S. earned a median of $35,230 a year, or $16.94 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid 10% earned at least 3.6 times as much as the lowest-paid 10%.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
- $35,230median annual wage
- $16.94median hourly wage
- $18,100 to $64,72010th to 90th percentile
- 2,270,910employed in the U.S.
Pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $8.70 | $18,100 |
| 25th | $13.34 | $27,750 |
| Median (50th) | $16.94 | $35,230 |
| 75th | $22.65 | $47,110 |
| 90th | $31.12 | $64,720 |
| Mean | $19.26 | $40,060 |
BLS wage figures for this occupation include tips reported by employers. Actual take-home pay can vary a lot from shift to shift.
Server salary by state
Median wages and employment for every state where BLS published an estimate.
| State | Employed | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th to 90th percentile (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 28,760 | $12.91 | $26,840 | $16,550 to $36,090 |
| Alaska | 3,830 | $12.65 | $26,310 | $24,770 to $64,080 |
| Arizona | 55,950 | $21.13 | $43,950 | $30,580 to $78,920 |
| Arkansas | 17,880 | $11.86 | $24,680 | $23,040 to $43,810 |
| California | 229,970 | $17.35 | $36,080 | $34,320 to $68,950 |
| Colorado | 40,680 | $21.57 | $44,860 | $30,800 to $78,160 |
| Connecticut | 22,370 | $18.16 | $37,770 | $34,010 to $72,060 |
| Delaware | 7,580 | $17.73 | $36,880 | $31,200 to $62,000 |
| District of Columbia | 11,530 | $23.01 | $47,850 | $36,400 to $100,240 |
| Florida | 207,180 | $17.38 | $36,150 | $27,230 to $63,580 |
| Georgia | 76,470 | $8.99 | $18,700 | $15,080 to $46,860 |
| Hawaii | 14,090 | $29.99 | $62,390 | $29,120 to $119,870 |
| Idaho | 10,950 | $14.45 | $30,050 | $16,770 to $62,220 |
| Illinois | 72,900 | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 to $49,470 |
| Indiana | 43,620 | $13.69 | $28,480 | $17,640 to $48,350 |
| Iowa | 22,410 | $10.10 | $21,000 | $15,080 to $47,980 |
| Kansas | 19,480 | $17.36 | $36,120 | $17,370 to $62,890 |
| Kentucky | 27,150 | $14.26 | $29,660 | $16,520 to $62,030 |
| Louisiana | 33,870 | $7.25 | $15,080 | $15,080 to $38,060 |
| Maine | 9,090 | $20.85 | $43,370 | $30,490 to $82,930 |
| Maryland | 38,120 | $17.67 | $36,750 | $31,200 to $62,210 |
| Massachusetts | 54,670 | $18.49 | $38,460 | $31,790 to $62,200 |
| Michigan | 65,090 | $18.16 | $37,760 | $25,960 to $64,350 |
| Minnesota | 37,630 | $12.25 | $25,470 | $23,150 to $41,800 |
| Mississippi | 15,190 | $10.27 | $21,370 | $15,330 to $39,420 |
| Missouri | 41,640 | $14.13 | $29,400 | $28,600 to $61,440 |
| Montana | 7,200 | $11.23 | $23,370 | $21,940 to $45,420 |
| Nebraska | 13,310 | $16.24 | $33,770 | $28,080 to $59,420 |
| Nevada | 42,520 | $12.70 | $26,410 | $24,960 to $50,140 |
| New Hampshire | 10,030 | $18.48 | $38,430 | $21,060 to $72,810 |
| New Jersey | 55,800 | $21.62 | $44,960 | $32,220 to $78,510 |
| New Mexico | 12,740 | $17.75 | $36,920 | $26,670 to $69,410 |
| New York | 142,940 | $22.61 | $47,020 | $33,540 to $83,210 |
| North Carolina | 71,940 | $15.46 | $32,150 | $17,140 to $62,670 |
| North Dakota | 5,250 | $14.85 | $30,890 | $18,470 to $60,570 |
| Ohio | 77,250 | $17.65 | $36,700 | $23,820 to $63,740 |
| Oklahoma | 27,000 | $8.61 | $17,910 | $15,230 to $47,630 |
| Oregon | 23,040 | $23.27 | $48,410 | $31,200 to $77,620 |
| Pennsylvania | 82,300 | $16.68 | $34,690 | $18,400 to $61,780 |
| Rhode Island | 10,160 | $17.03 | $35,420 | $31,200 to $62,680 |
| South Carolina | 47,200 | $8.83 | $18,370 | $15,080 to $46,820 |
| South Dakota | 7,350 | $13.94 | $28,990 | $27,030 to $37,290 |
| Tennessee | 52,120 | $13.35 | $27,760 | $15,080 to $47,660 |
| Texas | 199,610 | $11.18 | $23,240 | $17,070 to $47,590 |
| Utah | 17,790 | $14.98 | $31,150 | $18,550 to $60,320 |
| Vermont | 4,040 | $28.43 | $59,140 | $29,690 to $89,330 |
| Virginia | 59,370 | $21.52 | $44,760 | $28,270 to $74,130 |
| Washington | 45,400 | $26.98 | $56,130 | $36,710 to $94,930 |
| West Virginia | 8,600 | $17.01 | $35,380 | $20,230 to $60,560 |
| Wisconsin | 36,220 | $14.26 | $29,670 | $16,830 to $61,770 |
| Wyoming | 3,620 | $11.50 | $23,920 | $18,000 to $56,260 |
Highest-paying states
- Hawaii: $62,390, 77% above the national median
- Vermont: $59,140, 68% above the national median
- Washington: $56,130, 59% above the national median
- Oregon: $48,410, 37% above the national median
- District of Columbia: $47,850, 36% above the national median
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $15,080
- Oklahoma: $17,910
- South Carolina: $18,370
- Georgia: $18,700
- Iowa: $21,000
States with the most jobs
- California: 229,970 employed
- Florida: 207,180 employed
- Texas: 199,610 employed
- New York: 142,940 employed
- Pennsylvania: 82,300 employed
Where the job is most concentrated
Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state, a measure of how common the occupation is locally.
- Nevada: 27.405 per 1,000 jobs
- Hawaii: 22.449 per 1,000 jobs
- Florida: 20.864 per 1,000 jobs
- South Carolina: 20.476 per 1,000 jobs
- Rhode Island: 20.271 per 1,000 jobs
More about this role
Server career guide · Server job description and interview questions
Salaries for related roles
- Fast Food and Counter Worker salary
- Bartender salary
- Line Cook salary
- Hotel Front Desk Clerk salary
- Retail Sales Associate salary
- Cashier salary
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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 is the average server salary?
The mean annual wage for waiters and waitresses in the U.S. was $40,060 in May 2025, and the median was $35,230. The median is the middle value: half of workers earned more, half earned less.
How much does a server make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $16.94 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $8.70 and the 90th percentile was $31.12.
Where do servers earn the most?
Hawaii had the highest median annual wage, at $62,390, 77% above the national median.
Where do servers earn the least?
Louisiana had the lowest median annual wage, at $15,080.
Where does this data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, which cover wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments.