Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Ponce, PR make a median of $23,770 a year, or about $11.43 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $24K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $23,770 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $538/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $24K get you in Ponce?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ponce’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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
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What this looks like in Ponce
Pay for food servers, nonrestaurant in Ponce runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $35K. Rent runs $538/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food servers, nonrestaurants in metros near Ponce, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas | $22K | $22K |
| Mayaguez | $22K | $22K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ponce, PR
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $24K. Top earners bring in $24K or more, a $2K 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
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Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ponce?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $24K, rent takes 30.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $538/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/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 Ponce?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,310/month. At HUD’s $538/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Ponce?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $24K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Ponce compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Ponce pays $24K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $24K — below the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Ponce, PR?
The median is $23,770 a year, that works out to about $11 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,840, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $23,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $24K enough to live in Ponce?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,756/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $538/month, which eats 30.6% 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 Ponce?
Ponce has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food servers, nonrestaurant salary is worth about $23,770 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.