Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Food servers, nonrestaurant work in a customer-facing role where service, reliability, and people skills matter. National employment stands at 277,000, with projected growth of 3.0%. This combination suggests an ongoing need for workers in this occupation. With 48,000 annual openings, there are frequent entry points for new job seekers, career changers, and those re-entering the workforce. The national median annual salary is $34,460, and opportunities vary by location, with some states and metro areas offering higher pay and strong opportunity scores. Success in this field draws on physical strength and stamina, customer service, interpersonal abilities, and attention to detail, along with adaptability and leadership potential. Because the typical education requirement is no formal educational credential, this career can be accessible to individuals who want to start earning without long-term schooling. For those exploring similar paths, related occupations include several cook roles, physical therapist aides, animal caretakers, and other food preparation and serving positions.
Food servers, nonrestaurant earn a national median annual salary of $34,460, with pay levels differing by state and metro area. Among the top states, New York shows a median salary of $39,370, closely followed by California at $39,010, Washington at $38,870, and Colorado at $38,900. Massachusetts offers $36,750. At the metro level, pay can be higher. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, reports a median salary of $46,210, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, shows $44,710. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, metro has a median salary of $39,120, while Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, stands at $37,540 and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, at $37,330. These figures indicate that location choice can significantly influence earning potential, especially in certain California and major coastal metro areas where median salaries are above the national median for this occupation.
The employment outlook for food servers, nonrestaurant is supported by a national workforce of 277,000 and a projected employment growth rate of 3.0%. This projected growth suggests that the occupation is expected to add jobs over time, rather than shrink. Annual openings are estimated at 48,000, indicating a steady flow of opportunities each year. These openings can come from a mix of new positions and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation. For individuals considering entering this field, the combination of an existing large employment base and ongoing openings may offer multiple entry points. The 3.0% growth rate is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, which can help job seekers plan regionally without having to account for large differences in projected growth from one major area to another.
Location choice can shape both opportunity and pay for food servers, nonrestaurant. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York have the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, at 67.38, 65.87, and 65.78 respectively, with median salaries around or above the high-$30,000s. California and New York also stand out with larger employment bases of 32,430 and 17,520. Colorado and Washington offer slightly lower opportunity scores (56.97 and 56.29) but still show median salaries just under $39,000 and employment above 7,700. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, leads with an opportunity score of 77.42 and a median salary of $46,210. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, metro follows closely with an opportunity score of 77.27 and employment of 19,450. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, also offers a relatively high salary of $44,710. Washington, DC, and Boston metros provide moderate salaries and solid opportunity scores, giving job seekers multiple attractive urban options.
Food servers, nonrestaurant typically enter the field with no formal educational credential. This makes the occupation accessible to individuals who want to start working without completing a degree or certificate program. While formal education is not required, success in the role relies on a distinctive skill set. Physical strength and stamina help with the demands of being on your feet and handling materials. Customer service, interpersonal skills, and being detail oriented support positive interactions and accurate work. Leadership and project management skills can be valuable for coordinating tasks or taking on added responsibilities. Fine motor skills, mechanical abilities, science knowledge, and adaptability round out the profile, giving workers flexibility to handle different tools, procedures, or service environments. People considering similar options may also explore roles such as cooks (short order or all other), physical therapist aides, animal caretakers, or other food preparation and serving related workers as alternative pathways with overlapping skill needs.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
