Restaurant Server
Restaurant Server Salary
$12.5K - $16K
8% of jobs
$16K - $19.5K
9% of jobs
$21.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$19.5K - $23K
16% of jobs
$23K - $26.5K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $27.9K / yr.
$26.5K - $30K
13% of jobs
$32.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$30K - $33.5K
22% of jobs
$33.5K - $37K
9% of jobs
$37K - $40.5K
5% of jobs
$40.5K - $44K
3% of jobs
$44K - $47.5K
1% of jobs
$47.5K - $51K
2% of jobs
$12.5K
$28K
$49.5K
$28,176
/year
$13.55
/hour
Restaurant Server Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$28,176
Columbus
Ohio
$27,215
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How much does a Restaurant Server make?
As of Aug 21, 2026, the average annual pay for a Restaurant Server in the United States is $28,176 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $13.55 an hour. This is the equivalent of $541/week or $2,348/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $49,500 and as low as $12,500, the majority of Restaurant Server salaries currently range between $20,000 (25th percentile) to $32,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $39,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Restaurant Server varies greatly (by as much as 12000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Restaurant Server in your area makes on average $27,215 per year, or $961 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $28,176. Ohio ranks number 41 out of 50 states nationwide for Restaurant Server salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Restaurant Server jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Restaurant Server on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Restaurant Server Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Restaurant Server job is above the national average. Topping the list is Corcoran, CA, , with Surry, VA, and Ione, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Ione, CA, beats the national average by $12,181 (43.2%), and Corcoran, CA, furthers that trend with another $16,739 (59.4%) above the $28,176 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Restaurant Server appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Additionally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies as much as 26% between Corcoran, CA, and Mercer Island, WA, , suggesting a strong potential for positive wage variance in a Restaurant Server role. Cost of living should also be factored in when balancing location and salary.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Corcoran, CA | $44,915 | $21.59 |
Surry, VA | $40,524 | $19.48 |
Ione, CA | $40,357 | $19.40 |
Amagansett, NY | $36,041 | $17.33 |
Felton, CA | $35,820 | $17.22 |
Corte Madera, CA | $35,002 | $16.83 |
Nome, AK | $34,952 | $16.80 |
Cupertino, CA | $34,762 | $16.71 |
Nantucket, MA | $34,670 | $16.67 |
Mercer Island, WA | $34,508 | $16.59 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Restaurant Server Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Restaurant Server category.
For example Bar Staff jobs pay as much as $35,879 (127.3%) more than the average Restaurant Server salary of $28,176. If you're qualified, finding work as a Bar Staff may help you make more money than that of the average Restaurant Server position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Bar Staff | $64,055 | $30.80 |
Restaurant Waiter | $61,499 | $29.57 |
Manager Waiter | $44,250 | $21.27 |
Dining Room Server | $29,810 | $14.33 |
High End Restaurant Server | $28,176 | $13.55 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
