Profession · Full profile

Server

Takes orders, serves food and drinks, and looks after guests at their tables in restaurants, bars and hotels.

Average salary

$35,230

Salary range

$18,100 – $64,720

Training time

Under 1 month

Job market

Slower than average

5/10

Work-life balance

Demanding

4/10

A server takes orders and brings food and drinks to customers at their tables, then makes sure the meal goes well from the first drink to the final check. Servers greet guests, explain specials, answer menu and allergy questions, enter orders into a point-of-sale system, carry trays, check back on tables and collect payment. Before and after service they set tables, stock stations and clean. Most work in restaurants and bars; others work in hotels and entertainment venues. US occupational statistics count servers under waiters and waitresses; the figures on this page cover that whole group. The median annual wage is $35,230, a figure that includes tips. Employment is projected to grow 2% over the next decade, slower than average, but about 423,100 openings are expected each year as workers leave the job.

A workday

A day in the life

What does a workday really look like?

A server at a busy sit-down restaurant works the evening shift, from setup through the dinner rush to closing side work.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Clock in and set up the section
Sets tables, fills salt and pepper shakers and condiment holders, and stocks the server station with napkins, cutlery and glassware.
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Pre-shift lineup
Meets the manager and chef to go over tonight's specials, ingredients that matter for food allergies and anything the kitchen is short on.
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM
First tables of the evening
Greets early guests, explains the specials, takes drink orders and enters food orders into the point-of-sale system.
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Dinner rush
Runs a full section at once: taking orders, carrying trays, checking IDs for alcohol, checking back on each table and fixing problems fast.
8:30 PM - 9:45 PM
Second turn and dessert service
Serves late tables, portions desserts, brews coffee and clears plates as guests finish.
9:45 PM - 10:15 PM
Present checks and take payments
Prints itemized checks with sales tax, runs cards, makes change and splits bills for larger groups.
10:15 PM - 10:45 PM
Closing side work
Clears and wipes the last tables, restocks the station, vacuums the section and takes out trash.
10:45 PM - 11:00 PM
Cash out with the manager
Settles cash payments and records the night's sales and tips before clocking out.

Task breakdown

A server in a hotel restaurant starts before sunrise, covers the breakfast buffet and room service, and finishes after the lunch service.

6:00 AM - 6:30 AM
Open the dining room
Sets tables, brews the first coffee, fills juice and condiment stations and checks the uniform and dress code.
6:30 AM - 6:45 AM
Morning briefing
Hears the occupancy for the day, group bookings and any guest allergies or special requests from the supervisor.
6:45 AM - 9:30 AM
Breakfast service
Seats guests, takes egg and hot dish orders, refills coffee, keeps the buffet stocked and clears tables quickly between guests.
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Room service deliveries
Carries trays to guest rooms, sets them up, presents the check and returns to the kitchen for the next order.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Break
Short meal break before the lunch setup.
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Collect trays and reset for lunch
Picks up room service trays from hallways, swaps breakfast settings for lunch and restocks the service area.
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Lunch service
Serves hotel guests and business diners, takes orders, delivers food and checks that everyone is satisfied.
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Close checks and hand over
Charges meals to rooms or takes payment, closes open checks and briefs the afternoon server on pending orders.

Salary data

What do you really earn?

Salary by experience, sector and region.

Minimum

$18,100

Average

$35,230

Maximum

$64,720

Salary by region

Region	Min	Avg.	Max
National	$18,100	$35,230	$64,720
California	$34,320	$36,080	$68,950
Florida	$27,230	$36,150	$63,580
Texas	$17,070	$23,240	$47,590
New York	$33,540	$47,020	$83,210
Pennsylvania	$18,400	$34,690	$61,780

Typical benefits

Fast entry, no degree needed

No formal education is required, and most new servers are trained on the job by an experienced server within days to a few weeks.

Plenty of openings

About 423,100 server openings are expected each year over the coming decade, so jobs are easy to find in almost every town.

Tips reward good service

A large share of pay comes from tips, so busy shifts and strong service raise earnings. The top 10% earn more than $64,720 a year.

Part-time and flexible hours

Part-time work is common, which suits students, parents and people with a second job.

Few employer benefits for many workers

Health insurance and paid leave are more often offered to full-time staff; many servers work part time or seasonally and get limited benefits.

Skills that travel

Customer service, selling and staying calm under pressure carry over to bartending, hotel work, sales and restaurant management.

Pathways

Education pathways

Which paths lead to this profession?

On-the-job training

Several days to a few weeks (1 month or less)

On-the-job training with an experienced server

Most servers learn by shadowing an experienced server. Training covers basic serving techniques, the restaurant's order and payment systems, and how to handle difficult or unruly customers. Some employers require or prefer a high school diploma.

Costs: Paid by the employer; the trainee earns a wage.
Entry requirements: No formal education required; some employers prefer a high school diploma. Most states require servers who serve alcohol to be at least 18, and some set a higher age.
High school subjects: Training topics: Serving techniques, menu and specials, point-of-sale and payment systems, handling difficult customers

Certificate

A few hours, online or in a class; required training hours vary by state

Responsible alcohol service training (for example ServSafe Alcohol)

Servers who serve alcohol must know state and local laws on alcohol sales. Some states, counties and cities make this training mandatory. ServSafe Alcohol, from the National Restaurant Association, is one widely used program and comes in a Primary and an Advanced level; its certificate is generally valid for 3 years unless a state sets other rules. TIPS, from Health Communications, Inc., is another widely used program.

Costs: Varies by course and exam option; employers often pay where the training is required.
Entry requirements: Usually none; employers often arrange it for new hires where it is required.
High school subjects: Exam topics: State and local alcohol laws, age requirements and checking IDs, refusing service, handling difficult situations

Certificate

About 60 to 90 minutes online, followed by a short test

Food handler training (for example ServSafe Food Handler)

Some states require servers to complete training in the safe handling of food. ServSafe Food Handler is one common certificate program; local health departments set the exact rules. In California, for example, food handlers must get a California Food Handler Card within 30 days of being hired, and the card is valid for 3 years.

Costs: $15 for the ServSafe Food Handler online course and assessment.
Entry requirements: None.
High school subjects: Exam topics: Personal hygiene, safe food handling, cross-contact and food allergies, cleaning and sanitizing

Profile

Skills & personality

Is this a good fit for you?

Hard skills

Order taking and point-of-sale systemsWriting, memorizing or entering orders accurately and sending them to the kitchen, including modifications and allergy notes.
Menu knowledge and suggestive sellingExplaining dishes, ingredients and specials, and recommending drinks, starters and desserts that raise the check.
Checks and payment handlingPreparing itemized checks with sales tax, processing cards and cash, making change and splitting bills.
Responsible alcohol serviceChecking IDs for minimum age and applying state and local rules on serving alcohol.
Food safety and allergen awarenessHandling food and plates safely and passing allergy information between guests and the kitchen without errors.
Table service and tray carryingSetting tables, carrying loaded trays safely, serving and clearing in the right order, and preparing specialty dishes at the table where required.

Soft skills

Active listeningCatching exactly what a guest wants, including substitutions, and asking questions when an order is unclear.
SpeakingDescribing food clearly, relaying orders to the kitchen and handling complaints politely.
MonitoringKeeping track of several tables at once: who needs a refill, a check or a manager.
TeamworkCoordinating with cooks, bussers, hosts and bartenders so every table gets prompt service.

Is this a good fit for you?

✓
DependabilityRestaurants run on tight staffing; showing up on time for every shift, including weekends and holidays, matters.
✓
OptimismA friendly, upbeat manner sets the tone for a table and keeps you going through a long, busy shift.
✓
Social orientationThe job is constant contact with people, so servers who enjoy talking with strangers build rapport and earn better tips.
✓
Physical staminaServers spend almost the whole shift standing, walking and carrying trays, dishes and drinks.
✓
Composure under pressureDuring a rush you must stay calm with a full section, a backed-up kitchen and the occasional rude guest.

Market

Job market & outlook

What does the market look like?

Openings per year

423,100

Trend

Stable

Growth

+2%

AI impact

4/10

Self-service kiosks, tablet ordering and pay-at-table devices take over parts of order entry and payment, and growth in carryout reduces demand for table service. Carrying food, reading a table, fixing problems and creating a pleasant evening still require a person on the floor.

Regional demand

California

About 229,970 jobs; median pay $36,080 a year.

4/10

Florida

About 207,180 jobs; median pay $36,150 a year.

7/10

Texas

About 199,610 jobs; median pay $23,240 a year.

5/10

New York

About 142,940 jobs; median pay $47,020 a year.

5/10

Pennsylvania

About 82,300 jobs; median pay $34,690 a year.

5/10

Growth

Career paths

Where can this profession take you?

Vertical growth

Busser or food runner
0-1 years
Clears tables, resets the dining room and runs food from the kitchen; a common way in for people with no restaurant experience.
Fine-dining server
2-5 years
Experienced servers can move to fine-dining restaurants, where service is more formal and preferred schedules or higher tips are possible.
Shift lead or food service supervisor
3-6 years
Supervises servers and other front-of-house staff during a shift, handles guest complaints and covers scheduling and training.
Restaurant manager
5+ years
Runs the daily operation of a restaurant: staffing, budgets, food safety, supplier orders and the guest experience.

Horizontal move

Bartender
Servers who know the drink menu and enjoy faster interaction often move behind the bar to mix and serve drinks.
View Bartender
Banquet server
Serves weddings, conferences and catered events in hotels and venues, with work planned around bookings rather than walk-in guests.
Host
Manages reservations, the waitlist and seating; useful experience for servers aiming at front-of-house management.
View Host

Good to know

Practical info

Working hours: Part-time work is common. Shifts may include early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays, and some seasonal establishments employ servers for only a few months a year.
Remote work: Not possible. The job is done on the dining room floor, in constant contact with guests and the kitchen team.
Physical requirements: High. Servers stand most of the shift (80% of workers continually or almost continually), walk or move fast much of the time and carry heavy trays of food, dishes and drinks.
Typical employers: Food services and drinking places such as restaurants and bars (85% of jobs), traveler accommodation such as hotels (6%), and arts, entertainment and recreation venues (4%). Self-employment is rare (0.1%).
Professional associations: No single professional association covers servers. The National Restaurant Association runs the ServSafe training programs, including ServSafe Alcohol and ServSafe Food Handler.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does a server make in the US?

Servers earn a median annual wage of $35,230, or $16.94 per hour, based on wage data for waiters and waitresses. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $18,100 and the top 10% more than $64,720. These figures include tips. Pay varies widely by state: the median is $62,390 in Hawaii and $23,240 in Texas.

Do server wages include tips?

Yes, the official wage figures for servers include tips, so the median of $35,230 reflects tips plus base pay. Under federal law, employers may pay tipped workers a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour if tips bring them to at least the $7.25 federal minimum wage; if not, the employer must make up the difference. State law can require a higher cash wage, and the more generous rule applies.

How long does it take to become a server?

Most people can start as a server within a few weeks. No formal education or work experience is typically needed, and on-the-job training usually lasts from several days to a few weeks, 1 month or less in total. New servers shadow an experienced colleague and learn serving techniques and the restaurant's ordering and payment systems. Alcohol or food handler training, where required, adds a few hours.

Do you need a license or certification to be a server?

No general license is required to work as a server in the US, but local rules may require training. Some states, counties and cities mandate responsible alcohol service training, which typically lasts a few hours and may be offered online or in-house. Some states also require food handler training. Common programs include ServSafe Alcohol and ServSafe Food Handler.

How old do you have to be to serve alcohol as a server?

In most states you must be at least 18 to serve alcoholic beverages, but some states set a higher minimum age. Servers who serve alcohol also need to know state and local laws on alcohol sales, and in establishments that sell alcohol they must check that customers meet the legal drinking age.

Is being a server a good job?

Being a server is a good job for fast entry, flexible hours and tip income, but less so for stable pay and benefits. About 423,100 openings are expected each year over the next decade, and the top 10% earn more than $64,720 a year. The downsides are evening, weekend and holiday shifts, hard physical work, and income that rises and falls with how busy the restaurant is.

Which states pay servers the most?

Hawaii has the highest median wage for waiters and waitresses at $62,390, followed by Vermont at $59,140 and Washington at $56,130. Among the states with the most server jobs, New York stands out with a median of $47,020, while Texas, with 199,610 jobs, has a median of $23,240. California has the most jobs, 229,970, with a median of $36,080.

What is the difference between a server and a bartender?

A server takes orders and brings food and drinks to tables; a bartender mixes drinks and serves them directly to customers or through servers. Pay is similar: the median is $35,230 for waiters and waitresses and $34,340 for bartenders. Neither job requires formal education, and many bartenders start as servers.

Related professions

In depth

All about server

The background, context and details.

What the job covers in US statistics

Servers are counted under occupation 35-3031, waiters and waitresses. Sample job titles for the group include server, food server, restaurant server, cocktail server, banquet server, room service server, food runner and busser. All figures on this page cover that whole group: 2,284,400 jobs and a median annual wage of $35,230. The core of the work is the same everywhere: greet guests, take orders, relay them to the kitchen, bring food and drinks, check on the table and collect payment.

One thing to understand before you read any server salary: the official wage figures include tips. That means the median is not a base wage. In practice, a large part of a server's income arrives through tips, and federal law lets employers pay tipped workers a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour, as long as tips bring them to at least the $7.25 federal minimum wage. Where state law is more generous, the state rule applies, and pay differs widely from state to state.

How the job differs by setting

Food services and drinking places employ 85% of servers. Inside that group the range is wide. In a family restaurant or diner, the pace is fast, checks are small and a server may cover many tables. In a casual dining chain, upselling drinks and desserts is part of the job and the point-of-sale system tracks it. In fine dining, servers may set tables with linens, cutlery and glassware, prepare or finish specialty dishes at the table and need detailed knowledge of the menu and wine list. Experienced servers may advance to fine-dining restaurants for preferred schedules or higher tips.

Traveler accommodation, mostly hotels, employs 6% of servers. Hotel servers often start early with breakfast, handle room service and work banquets and conferences. Arts, entertainment and recreation employ another 4%, at places such as stadiums, theaters and golf clubs, where work follows the event calendar. In seasonal establishments, servers may be employed for only a few months a year.

Where the jobs and the pay are

California has the most jobs for waiters and waitresses (229,970, median $36,080), followed by Florida (207,180, median $36,150), Texas (199,610, median $23,240), New York (142,940, median $47,020) and Pennsylvania (82,300, median $34,690). Florida is the most concentrated of the large states: its location quotient of 1.43 means servers make up about 1.4 times their national share of jobs there. The highest medians are in Hawaii ($62,390), Vermont ($59,140) and Washington ($56,130).

Nationally, the middle half of servers earn between $27,750 and $47,110. The spread is wide because tips depend on the type of restaurant, the shift and how many hours you get. Official statistics do not break pay down by years of experience, so treat any "starting server salary" you see elsewhere with caution.

What managers look for when they hire

Most restaurants hire on attitude and reliability more than on a resume. Communication, customer service, attention to detail, physical stamina and physical strength are important qualities. In an interview, show that you can remember orders, stay friendly under pressure and work as part of a team with the kitchen. Any experience as a host, busser, cashier or barista helps, because it proves you can handle customers and a fast pace.

A few things make a candidate easier to hire. Availability for evenings, weekends and holidays is the biggest one. Where alcohol is served, being old enough and having completed responsible alcohol service training saves the employer time. A food handler certificate helps in states that require one. For fine dining, knowledge of wine and table service counts.

The honest downsides

The schedule is the main cost. Shifts may include early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays, and part-time work is common, so steady full-time hours are not guaranteed. Income follows the restaurant's traffic: a slow Tuesday pays much less than a full Saturday. The work is physical, with servers standing most of the shift and carrying heavy trays, and busy periods are hectic. Many servers in part-time or seasonal jobs get limited employer benefits. Finally, employment is projected to grow 2% over the next decade, slower than average, partly because of self-service kiosks and more carryout. The good news is turnover: about 423,100 openings are expected each year, so finding work is rarely the problem.