Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Georgia make a median of $31,530 a year, or about $15.16 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.89), which stretches that salary to about $34,313 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,434/month, about 66.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Georgia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $32K get you in Georgia?
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in Georgia
Pay for food servers, nonrestaurant in Georgia 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 $1,434/month, which is 66% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Georgia
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by metro in Georgia
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $34K | +6% | 2,800 |
| Gainesville | $33K | +5% | 120 |
| Athens-Clarke County | $32K | +0% | N/A |
| Brunswick-St. Simons | $31K | -1% | 90 |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $31K | -3% | 250 |
| Macon-Bibb County | $31K | -3% | 190 |
| Savannah | $30K | -5% | 230 |
| Warner Robins | $30K | -6% | 70 |
| Rome | $29K | -7% | 60 |
| Albany | $29K | -7% | 70 |
| Columbus | $28K | -10% | 170 |
| Valdosta | $28K | -12% | 100 |
| Dalton | $28K | -13% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Georgia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Georgia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 66% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,434/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Georgia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,551/month. At HUD’s $1,434/month FMR, rent would take 92% 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 Georgia?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $32K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Georgia compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Georgia pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Georgia?
The median is $31,530 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,850, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $39,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Georgia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,174/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,434/month, which eats 66% 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 Georgia?
Georgia has a Regional Price Parity of 91.89 (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 $34,313 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.