Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in North Carolina make a median of $31,460 a year, or about $15.13 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.66), which stretches that salary to about $33,952 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,284/month, about 58.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across North Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $31K get you in North Carolina?
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in North Carolina
Pay for food servers, nonrestaurant in North Carolina 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 $1,284/month, which is 59.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.66 (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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, North Carolina
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by metro in North Carolina
15 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldsboro | $39K | +24% | 50 |
| Asheville | $35K | +11% | 420 |
| Wilmington | $35K | +11% | 410 |
| Winston-Salem | $35K | +10% | 560 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $35K | +10% | 740 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $34K | +7% | 2,260 |
| Raleigh-Cary | $32K | +3% | 1,280 |
| Jacksonville | $31K | +0% | 100 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $31K | -0% | 210 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines | $31K | -2% | 250 |
| Fayetteville | $30K | -5% | 190 |
| Greensboro-High Point | $29K | -8% | 900 |
| Rocky Mount | $29K | -9% | 110 |
| Burlington | $29K | -9% | 90 |
| Greenville | $27K | -13% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 15 metros
Compare to other states
Track food servers, nonrestaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when North Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in North Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 59.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/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 North Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,426/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 90% 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 North Carolina?
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 North Carolina compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
North Carolina pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in North Carolina?
The median is $31,460 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,760, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $40,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in North Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,158/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 59.5% 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 North Carolina?
North Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 92.66 (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 $33,952 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.