The average wage for a food server in California is around $13.65 per hour.
Avg Wage
Food servers earn an average hourly wage of $13.65.
Salaries typically start from $12.17 per hour and go up to $15.31 per hour.
62% below national average Updated in 2018
Food server earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level food server earnings begin at:
$15.31 per hour
$31,839 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level food server earnings begin at:
$14.50 per hour
$30,154 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level food server earnings begin at:
$13.65 per hour
$28,387 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level food server earnings begin at:
$12.85 per hour
$26,723 per year
10th percentile
Starting level food server earnings begin at:
$12.17 per hour
$25,309 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Food server salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $52,110 |
| Vermont | $31,880 |
| New York | $31,534 |
| District of Columbia | $30,240 |
| Connecticut | $29,033 |
| Oregon | $28,749 |
| California | $28,387 |
| Washington | $27,720 |
| Maine | $27,550 |
| New Jersey | $27,530 |
| Massachusetts | $27,020 |
| Alaska | $26,480 |
| Nebraska | $25,610 |
| Nevada | $24,980 |
| New Hampshire | $24,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $24,175 |
| Michigan | $24,109 |
| Florida | $24,088 |
| Rhode Island | $23,980 |
| Maryland | $23,410 |
| Missouri | $23,333 |
| Indiana | $22,875 |
| Texas | $22,465 |
| Minnesota | $22,360 |
| Illinois | $21,938 |
| North Carolina | $21,718 |
| Ohio | $21,512 |
| Iowa | $21,367 |
| Colorado | $21,230 |
| Kansas | $21,198 |
| Arizona | $21,125 |
| Montana | $20,990 |
| Louisiana | $20,839 |
| Idaho | $20,780 |
| Utah | $20,590 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $20,380 |
| Delaware | $20,150 |
| West Virginia | $20,080 |
| Georgia | $20,074 |
| Virginia | $20,030 |
| South Dakota | $20,010 |
| Oklahoma | $19,609 |
| Wisconsin | $19,590 |
| Kentucky | $19,450 |
| Guam | $19,120 |
| Wyoming | $19,100 |
| Mississippi | $18,760 |
| New Mexico | $18,740 |
| North Dakota | $18,720 |
| South Carolina | $18,500 |
| Alabama | $18,480 |
| Tennessee | $18,444 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,040 |
| Arkansas | $17,867 |
How do food server salaries compare to similar careers?
Food servers earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than food batchmakers but more than nail technicians.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Food batchmaker salary | $29K |
| Vehicle cleaner salary | $26K |
| Receptionist salary | $28K |
| Stock clerk salary | $28K |
| Security guard salary | $28K |
| Food server salary | $28K |
| Restaurant cook salary | $28K |
| Amusement attendant salary | $25K |
| Barista salary | $26K |
| Nail technician salary | $25K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)