Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Harrisonburg, VA make a median of $31,710 a year, or about $15.25 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.89), which stretches that salary to about $33,418 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,322/month, about 61.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $32K actually covers in Harrisonburg, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Harrisonburg’s Regional Price Parity (94.89). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Harrisonburg
Food servers, nonrestaurant pay in Harrisonburg tracks closely to the national median, $32K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,322/month, which is 60.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food servers, nonrestaurants in metros near Harrisonburg, 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, Harrisonburg, VA
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $9K 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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Harrisonburg numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Harrisonburg?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 60.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,322/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 Harrisonburg?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,998/month. At HUD’s $1,322/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Harrisonburg?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $32K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Harrisonburg compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Harrisonburg pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Harrisonburg, VA?
The median is $31,710 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,720, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $37,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Harrisonburg?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,184/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,322/month, which eats 60.5% 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 Harrisonburg?
Harrisonburg has a Regional Price Parity of 94.89 (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 $33,418 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.