Is this a competitive Food Servers salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$28K
P25$31K
P50$35K
P75$39K
P90$46K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $35,360 to $38,501 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Food Servers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant is $35,360 per year ($17.00/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $31,179 and $38,501 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $46,114 per year. There are approximately 293,900 food servers, nonrestaurant employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.0%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
48K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
277K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
NAICS 623300
79K
$34,420
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
60K
$34,540
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
45K
$38,770
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
33K
$36,380
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
18K
$34,480
Wage range across top 5 industries: $34,420 to $38,770 (13% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.48
$28,038
P25
$14.99
$31,179
P50MEDIAN
$17.00
$35,360
P75
$18.51
$38,501
P90
$22.17
$46,114
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.8%
Quits Rate
3.0%
Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average food servers, nonrestaurant salary?
The national median salary for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant is $35,360 per year ($17.00/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $31,179 and $38,501 annually.
How much do top-earning food servers, nonrestaurant make?
The 90th percentile salary for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant is $46,114 per year ($22.17/hr). The 75th percentile is $38,501 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for food servers, nonrestaurant?
Entry-level Food Servers, Nonrestaurant (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,038 per year ($13.48/hr). The 25th percentile is $31,179 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
