Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA make a median of $40,640 a year, or about $19.54 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $36,570 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 85.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue sits well above the national pay line for food servers, nonrestaurant, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,501/month, which is 86.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food servers, nonrestaurants in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $36K | $36K |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $37K | $35K |
| Yakima | $36K | $38K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $38K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $19K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 86.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,269/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 110% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $41K here vs. $35K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 11% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $40,640 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,820, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $56,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,891/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 86.5% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (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 $36,570 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.