Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant (SOC 35-3041) earn a median $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour) in the United States, with 293,900 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What food servers, nonrestaurant do
These workers carry meals to people who are not eating in a restaurant dining room. Examples include workers who deliver trays in hospitals and residential care facilities, staff who bring food to hotel rooms, and car hops who serve customers in their vehicles. Typical tasks are plating food and loading trays, checking that each tray holds the right items for a person's diet order or room number, adding utensils and napkins, delivering the meal, and collecting dishes afterward. They watch that meals reach the correct recipients and that guidelines for special diets are followed, and they clean or sterilize dishes and utensils. Some also take food orders and relay them to the kitchen. Fast food and counter workers and street vendors (41-9091) are excluded, and waiters and waitresses, who work in dining rooms, are a distinct code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 48 percent).
Also called: Boat Hop, Car Attendant, Car Hop, Curb Attendant, Curb Hop.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.48 | $14.99 | $17.00 | $18.51 | $22.17 | $17.37 | 293,900 |
| Annual | $28,030 | $31,190 | $35,360 | $38,500 | $46,120 | $36,140 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where food servers, nonrestaurant earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.92 | $17.14 | $18.93 | $23.43 | $25.30 | $20.46 | 17,520 | 1.81 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $33,110 | $35,660 | $39,370 | $48,740 | $52,630 | $42,560 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $16.88 | $17.62 | $18.75 | $22.55 | $27.67 | $20.95 | 32,430 | 1.78 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $35,120 | $36,650 | $39,010 | $46,900 | $57,550 | $43,580 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $15.32 | $17.30 | $18.70 | $22.04 | $24.73 | $19.67 | 7,750 | 2.70 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $31,860 | $35,990 | $38,900 | $45,850 | $51,440 | $40,920 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $16.85 | $17.67 | $18.69 | $22.02 | $24.47 | $20.19 | 8,050 | 2.27 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $35,050 | $36,760 | $38,870 | $45,790 | $50,910 | $42,000 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $12.09 | $15.27 | $18.31 | $22.04 | $22.19 | $18.20 | 430 | 1.33 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $25,140 | $31,760 | $38,090 | $45,840 | $46,160 | $37,860 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.88 | $17.62 | $18.75 | $22.55 | $27.67 | $20.95 | 32,430 | 1.78 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $35,120 | $36,650 | $39,010 | $46,900 | $57,550 | $43,580 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.04 | $14.67 | $16.31 | $17.41 | $18.75 | $16.60 | 19,240 | 1.94 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $29,210 | $30,510 | $33,930 | $36,200 | $39,000 | $34,530 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.04 | $16.87 | $17.96 | $20.17 | $17.18 | 17,560 | 2.88 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,290 | $35,080 | $37,360 | $41,960 | $35,730 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.92 | $17.14 | $18.93 | $23.43 | $25.30 | $20.46 | 17,520 | 1.81 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $33,110 | $35,660 | $39,370 | $48,740 | $52,630 | $42,560 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $12.72 | $13.62 | $14.63 | $17.36 | $18.42 | $15.61 | 15,320 | 2.76 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $26,450 | $28,340 | $30,440 | $36,110 | $38,310 | $32,470 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $18.23 | $19.80 | $30.27 | $34.38 | $37.50 | $28.38 | 200 | 2.74 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $37,920 | $41,190 | $62,960 | $71,510 | $78,000 | $59,020 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $19.42 | $20.71 | $22.22 | $27.58 | $31.26 | $24.32 | 1,960 | 1.73 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $40,390 | $43,090 | $46,210 | $57,370 | $65,030 | $50,590 | ||||
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | Hourly | $17.04 | $17.85 | $21.65 | $23.77 | $26.68 | $21.26 | 50 | 1.03 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $35,450 | $37,120 | $45,030 | $49,440 | $55,490 | $44,210 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.57 | $19.79 | $21.49 | $26.32 | $32.40 | $23.36 | 4,160 | 1.75 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $38,630 | $41,170 | $44,710 | $54,750 | $67,400 | $48,600 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $16.73 | $17.81 | $20.12 | $29.30 | $36.58 | $23.34 | 240 | 3.03 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $34,810 | $37,050 | $41,850 | $60,940 | $76,090 | $48,550 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.99 | $17.54 | $18.81 | $23.04 | $25.04 | $20.37 | 19,450 | 2.05 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $33,250 | $36,480 | $39,120 | $47,930 | $52,080 | $42,360 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.03 | $17.15 | $18.29 | $21.16 | $17.57 | 12,200 | 2.70 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $33,350 | $35,670 | $38,040 | $44,010 | $36,550 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.88 | $17.54 | $18.44 | $22.33 | $27.00 | $20.55 | 11,850 | 1.89 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $35,120 | $36,490 | $38,350 | $46,440 | $56,160 | $42,740 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $14.01 | $14.93 | $16.01 | $18.00 | $21.35 | $16.66 | 7,610 | 2.63 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $29,130 | $31,060 | $33,300 | $37,440 | $44,410 | $34,650 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $16.55 | $17.11 | $17.51 | $18.61 | $21.65 | $18.15 | 6,740 | 3.45 | 1.83 |
| Annual | $34,420 | $35,580 | $36,420 | $38,700 | $45,040 | $37,740 | ||||
Top industries employing food servers, nonrestaurant
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly employ 26.8% of food servers, nonrestaurant nationally (78,910 jobs) at a median $34,420 a year ($16.55 an hour), followed by Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (20.6%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (15.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | 78,910 | 26.8% | $34,420 | $16.55 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) NAICS 623100 | 60,480 | 20.6% | $34,540 | $16.60 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 44,890 | 15.3% | $38,770 | $18.64 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 33,210 | 11.3% | $36,380 | $17.49 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 18,210 | 6.2% | $34,480 | $16.58 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (293,900). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $28,730 for food servers, nonrestaurant in May 2021 and $35,360 in May 2025, with employment of 243,030 and 293,900.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $28,730 | $13.81 | 243,030 |
| May 2022 | $30,300 | $14.57 | 248,870 |
| May 2023 | $33,110 | $15.92 | 267,840 |
| May 2024 | $34,460 | $16.57 | 271,780 |
| May 2025 | $35,360 | $17.00 | 293,900 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $18.93 | $39,370 | $33,110 | $52,630 | 17,520 | 1.81 | 0.96 |
| 2 | California profile | $18.75 | $39,010 | $35,120 | $57,550 | 32,430 | 1.78 | 0.94 |
| 3 | Colorado profile | $18.70 | $38,900 | $31,860 | $51,440 | 7,750 | 2.70 | 1.43 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $18.69 | $38,870 | $35,050 | $50,910 | 8,050 | 2.27 | 1.20 |
| 5 | Alaska profile | $18.31 | $38,090 | $25,140 | $46,160 | 430 | 1.33 | 0.70 |
| 6 | District of Columbia profile | $18.23 | $37,920 | $36,400 | $54,650 | 1,260 | 1.79 | 0.95 |
| 7 | Hawaii profile | $18.23 | $37,920 | $31,250 | $68,170 | 880 | 1.41 | 0.74 |
| 8 | Maine profile | $18.11 | $37,680 | $31,570 | $45,000 | 540 | 0.85 | 0.45 |
| 9 | Vermont profile | $18.05 | $37,540 | $32,970 | $54,380 | 780 | 2.56 | 1.36 |
| 10 | North Dakota profile | $17.75 | $36,910 | $31,140 | $46,320 | 1,630 | 3.80 | 2.01 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $17.67 | $36,750 | $33,990 | $47,630 | 5,830 | 1.60 | 0.85 |
| 12 | New Hampshire profile | $17.65 | $36,710 | $28,710 | $46,090 | 1,770 | 2.58 | 1.37 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $17.62 | $36,650 | $31,840 | $42,930 | 6,600 | 2.39 | 1.26 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $17.61 | $36,620 | $33,240 | $48,660 | 4,420 | 2.25 | 1.19 |
| 15 | New Jersey profile | $17.50 | $36,390 | $32,220 | $43,800 | 11,400 | 2.66 | 1.41 |
| 16 | Nevada profile | $17.32 | $36,030 | $29,110 | $51,000 | 1,820 | 1.17 | 0.62 |
| 17 | Minnesota profile | $17.31 | $36,000 | $31,760 | $44,370 | 11,090 | 3.76 | 1.99 |
| 18 | Connecticut profile | $17.29 | $35,950 | $34,040 | $42,850 | 5,050 | 2.98 | 1.58 |
| 19 | New Mexico profile | $17.19 | $35,740 | $29,750 | $45,190 | 670 | 0.77 | 0.41 |
| 20 | Arizona profile | $17.01 | $35,390 | $31,400 | $46,370 | 4,620 | 1.43 | 0.75 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $16.87 | $35,090 | $29,040 | $42,930 | 7,420 | 1.81 | 0.96 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $16.87 | $35,080 | $31,200 | $41,960 | 17,560 | 2.88 | 1.52 |
| 23 | Rhode Island profile | $16.76 | $34,860 | $31,320 | $42,990 | 1,020 | 2.04 | 1.08 |
| 24 | Wisconsin profile | $16.67 | $34,670 | $28,640 | $44,080 | 6,680 | 2.27 | 1.20 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $16.47 | $34,260 | $28,730 | $38,180 | 7,700 | 1.75 | 0.93 |
| 26 | Idaho profile | $16.45 | $34,220 | $27,980 | $39,210 | 930 | 1.09 | 0.58 |
| 27 | Florida profile | $16.31 | $33,930 | $29,210 | $39,000 | 19,240 | 1.94 | 1.03 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $16.01 | $33,300 | $27,450 | $42,980 | 13,940 | 2.30 | 1.22 |
| 29 | Wyoming profile | $15.91 | $33,090 | $21,840 | $42,740 | 250 | 0.89 | 0.47 |
| 30 | Kentucky profile | $15.48 | $32,200 | $25,790 | $42,060 | 3,660 | 1.83 | 0.97 |
| 31 | Montana profile | $15.43 | $32,090 | $23,010 | $38,210 | 1,050 | 2.06 | 1.09 |
| 32 | South Dakota profile | $15.38 | $31,980 | $26,810 | $43,070 | 160 | 0.35 | 0.18 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | $15.31 | $31,840 | $26,360 | $38,350 | 3,900 | 1.22 | 0.64 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $15.31 | $31,840 | $28,600 | $38,370 | 7,490 | 2.55 | 1.35 |
| 35 | South Carolina profile | $15.26 | $31,740 | $19,100 | $37,480 | 2,990 | 1.30 | 0.69 |
| 36 | Nebraska profile | $15.17 | $31,540 | $28,790 | $38,510 | 3,800 | 3.71 | 1.96 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $15.16 | $31,530 | $25,850 | $39,610 | 4,970 | 1.02 | 0.54 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $15.13 | $31,460 | $23,760 | $40,110 | 8,820 | 1.79 | 0.94 |
| 39 | Delaware profile | $15.11 | $31,430 | $31,200 | $44,730 | 1,010 | 2.07 | 1.10 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $14.75 | $30,670 | $22,620 | $46,750 | 5,230 | 1.60 | 0.84 |
| 41 | Ohio profile | $14.63 | $30,440 | $26,450 | $38,310 | 15,320 | 2.76 | 1.46 |
| 42 | Utah profile | $14.51 | $30,170 | $23,120 | $41,600 | 2,430 | 1.40 | 0.74 |
| 43 | West Virginia profile | $14.51 | $30,170 | $22,480 | $38,280 | 460 | 0.66 | 0.35 |
| 44 | Iowa profile | $14.48 | $30,110 | $27,020 | $36,600 | 5,270 | 3.38 | 1.79 |
| 45 | Texas profile | $14.09 | $29,300 | $21,930 | $36,930 | 14,340 | 1.02 | 0.54 |
| 46 | Kansas profile | $13.96 | $29,040 | $21,770 | $35,250 | 1,270 | 0.88 | 0.47 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $13.94 | $29,000 | $23,080 | $35,770 | 2,920 | 1.38 | 0.73 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $13.70 | $28,490 | $23,030 | $37,850 | 1,760 | 1.03 | 0.55 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $13.27 | $27,600 | $23,920 | $34,430 | 3,540 | 2.72 | 1.44 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $13.10 | $27,250 | $19,940 | $34,270 | 1,860 | 1.60 | 0.84 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $13.08 | $27,200 | $18,580 | $32,540 | 2,380 | 1.23 | 0.65 |
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-3041 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-3041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-3041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.