Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA make a median of $31,330 a year, or about $15.06 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.71), which stretches that salary to about $33,794 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,271/month, about 59.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford’s Regional Price Parity (92.71). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
Pay for food servers, nonrestaurant in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,271/month, which is 58.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.71 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for food servers, nonrestaurants.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food servers, nonrestaurants in metros near Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $35K | $35K |
| Richmond | $35K | $36K |
| Roanoke | $32K | $34K |
| Lynchburg | $34K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $6K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $39K | +11% | 17,520 |
| California | $39K | +10% | 32,430 |
| Colorado | $39K | +10% | 7,750 |
| Washington | $39K | +10% | 8,050 |
| Alaska | $38K | +8% | 430 |
| Hawaii | $38K | +7% | 880 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +7% | 1,260 |
| Maine | $38K | +7% | 540 |
| Vermont | $38K | +6% | 780 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +4% | 1,630 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +4% | 5,830 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +4% | 1,770 |
| Maryland | $37K | +4% | 6,600 |
| Oregon | $37K | +4% | 4,420 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +3% | 11,400 |
| Nevada | $36K | +2% | 1,820 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +2% | 11,090 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +2% | 5,050 |
| New Mexico | $36K | +1% | 670 |
| Arizona | $35K | +0% | 4,620 |
| Virginia | $35K | -1% | 7,420 |
| Illinois | $35K | -1% | 17,560 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | -1% | 1,020 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | -2% | 6,680 |
| Michigan | $34K | -3% | 7,700 |
| Idaho | $34K | -3% | 930 |
| Florida | $34K | -4% | 19,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $33K | -6% | 13,940 |
| Wyoming | $33K | -6% | 250 |
| Kentucky | $32K | -9% | 3,660 |
| Montana | $32K | -9% | 1,050 |
| South Dakota | $32K | -10% | 160 |
| Missouri | $32K | -10% | 7,490 |
| Indiana | $32K | -10% | 3,900 |
| South Carolina | $32K | -10% | 2,990 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -11% | 3,800 |
| Georgia | $32K | -11% | 4,970 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -11% | 8,820 |
| Delaware | $31K | -11% | 1,010 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -13% | 5,230 |
| Ohio | $30K | -14% | 15,320 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -15% | 460 |
| Utah | $30K | -15% | 2,430 |
| Iowa | $30K | -15% | 5,270 |
| Texas | $29K | -17% | 14,340 |
| Kansas | $29K | -18% | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $29K | -18% | 2,920 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -19% | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -22% | 3,540 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -23% | 1,860 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -23% | 2,380 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track food servers, nonrestaurant salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 58.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,271/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food servers, nonrestaurants in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,769/month. At HUD’s $1,271/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food servers, nonrestaurant a high-paying job in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $31K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?
The median is $31,330 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,490, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $35,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,161/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,271/month, which eats 58.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a food servers, nonrestaurant salary go in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.71 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food servers, nonrestaurant salary is worth about $33,794 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food servers, nonrestaurants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.