The average salary for a food server in District of Columbia is around $47,850 per year.
Avg Salary
Food servers earn an average yearly salary of $47,850.
Wages typically start from $36,400 and go up to $100,240.
35% below national average Updated in 2025
Food server earnings by seniority
Top-level food server earnings begin at:
$48.19 per hour
$100,240 per year
Senior-level food server earnings begin at:
$37.75 per hour
$78,520 per year
Mid-level food server earnings begin at:
$23.01 per hour
$47,850 per year
Junior-level food server earnings begin at:
$17.50 per hour
$36,400 per year
Starting level food server earnings begin at:
$17.50 per hour
$36,400 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Food server salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62,390 |
| Vermont | $59,140 |
| Washington | $56,130 |
| Oregon | $48,410 |
| District of Columbia | $47,850 |
| New York | $47,020 |
| New Jersey | $44,960 |
| Colorado | $44,860 |
| Virginia | $44,760 |
| Arizona | $43,950 |
| Maine | $43,370 |
| Massachusetts | $38,460 |
| New Hampshire | $38,430 |
| Connecticut | $37,770 |
| Michigan | $37,760 |
| New Mexico | $36,920 |
| Delaware | $36,880 |
| Maryland | $36,750 |
| Ohio | $36,700 |
| Florida | $36,150 |
| Kansas | $36,120 |
| California | $36,080 |
| Rhode Island | $35,420 |
| West Virginia | $35,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,690 |
| Nebraska | $33,770 |
| North Carolina | $32,150 |
| Illinois | $31,200 |
| Utah | $31,150 |
| North Dakota | $30,890 |
| Idaho | $30,050 |
| Wisconsin | $29,670 |
| Kentucky | $29,660 |
| Missouri | $29,400 |
| South Dakota | $28,990 |
| Indiana | $28,480 |
| Tennessee | $27,760 |
| Alabama | $26,840 |
| Nevada | $26,410 |
| Alaska | $26,310 |
| Minnesota | $25,470 |
| Arkansas | $24,680 |
| Wyoming | $23,920 |
| Montana | $23,370 |
| Texas | $23,240 |
| Mississippi | $21,370 |
| Iowa | $21,000 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $20,380 |
| Guam | $19,120 |
| Georgia | $18,700 |
| South Carolina | $18,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,040 |
| Oklahoma | $17,910 |
| Louisiana | $15,080 |
How do food server salaries compare to similar careers?
Food servers earn about the same as related careers in District of Columbia. On average, they make less than hazardous materials removal workers but more than lifeguards.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Hazardous materials removal worker salary | $60K |
| Travel agent salary | $62K |
| Maintenance worker salary | $60K |
| Administrative assistant salary | $60K |
| Security guard salary | $64K |
| Food server salary | $48K |
| Library assistant salary | $59K |
| Bartender salary | $54K |
| Ambulance dispatcher salary | $59K |
| Lifeguard salary | $60K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)