Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Pennsylvania make a median of $33,300 a year, or about $16.01 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $35,064 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 58.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $33K get you in Pennsylvania?
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Food servers, nonrestaurant pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $33K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 58.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by metro in Pennsylvania
16 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsport | $36K | +9% | 150 |
| Pittsburgh | $35K | +4% | 2,340 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $34K | +3% | 950 |
| Chambersburg | $34K | +1% | 170 |
| State College | $34K | +1% | 130 |
| York-Hanover | $34K | +1% | 340 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $33K | +0% | 670 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $33K | +0% | 7,610 |
| Lebanon | $33K | -1% | 100 |
| Erie | $32K | -3% | 280 |
| Reading | $31K | -7% | 380 |
| Lancaster | $31K | -8% | 1,060 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $31K | -8% | 490 |
| Johnstown | $29K | -14% | 70 |
| Gettysburg | $29K | -14% | 90 |
| Altoona | $28K | -16% | 110 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 metros
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Track food servers, nonrestaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 58.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,647/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $33K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Pennsylvania pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $33,300 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,450, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $42,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,314/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 58.4% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $35,064 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.