Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Massachusetts make a median of $36,750 a year, or about $17.67 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $36,717 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 93.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Massachusetts. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in Massachusetts?
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in Massachusetts
Food servers, nonrestaurant pay in Massachusetts tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,347/month, which is 94.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by metro in Massachusetts
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $37K | +2% | 4,370 |
| Barnstable Town | $37K | +1% | 140 |
| Worcester | $36K | -3% | 750 |
| Pittsfield | $35K | -5% | 90 |
| Springfield | $35K | -5% | 340 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $35K | -5% | 150 |
Compare to other states
Track food servers, nonrestaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Massachusetts numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 94.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/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 Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,039/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 115% 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 Massachusetts?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Massachusetts pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Massachusetts?
The median is $36,750 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,990, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $47,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,477/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 94.8% 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 Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food servers, nonrestaurant salary is worth about $36,717 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.