Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Boulder, CO make a median of $38,930 a year, or about $18.72 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers.
Where the paycheck goes
What $39K actually covers in Boulder, month by month
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food servers, nonrestaurants in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $40K | , |
| Colorado Springs | $37K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $37K | , |
| Grand Junction | $37K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $15K 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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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 63.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,672/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,183/month.
Is food servers, nonrestaurant a high-paying job in Boulder?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Boulder pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +10%.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $38,930 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,810, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $46,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,634/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,672/month, which eats 63.5% 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 Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food servers, nonrestaurant salary is worth about $38,930 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.