Serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars. Excludes “Fast Food and Counter Workers” (35-3023) and “Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers” (41-9091).
National median · BLS
$35,360
▲ +2.61%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$36,140
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
293,900
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$28,030
25th
$31,190
Median (50th)
$35,360
75th
$38,500
90th — top pay
$46,120
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
BLS projects employment of food servers, nonrestaurant to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 48,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
296,300 → 309,600
+13,300 jobs
Projected change
+4.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
48,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What food servers, nonrestaurant do
Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.
Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities.
Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items.
Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.
Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled.
Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
Remove trays and stack dishes for return to kitchen after meals are finished.
Also called
Food Service WorkerRoom ServerRoom Service ServerTray ServerFood ServerKitchen Runner
More job titles for this occupation (34)
Boat HopCar AttendantCar HopCurb AttendantCurb HopCurberDining Room ServerFood and Beverage ServerFood Cart AttendantFood Order Delivery RunnerFood PorterFood RunnerFood Service AttendantFood Service Hotel RunnerFood Service Tray AttendantHospital Food Service WorkerHospital Tray Service WorkerHot Dog VendorHot Tamale ManHot Tamale WorkerIn Room Dining ServerLine ServerOutside Food ServerRoom AttendantRoom Service AssociateRoom Service AttendantRoom Service BellhopRoom Service ClerkRoom Service Food ServerRoom Service Food Service AttendantRoom Service WaiterRoom Service WaitressTeletray OperatorTray Service Worker
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $35,360.
