Server salary
We don't have enough pay data for this role yet. Browse open jobs below — many listings state pay directly.
See what's hiring now
Browse open servers.
What a server does
Servers take orders and look after guests in restaurants. Base pay is often low because tips form most of the earnings — which makes advertised rates misleading on their own.
Day-to-day duties
- Greet guests and take orders
- Advise on menu and specials
- Deliver food and drinks
- Handle payment and resolve issues
- Reset and maintain sections
Skills employers look for
- Genuine friendliness under pressure
- Memory and multitasking
- Upselling naturally
- Composure with difficult guests
Requirements Entry level
- No formal education required
- Food handler card in many areas
- Alcohol service certification where serving alcohol
- Evening, weekend and holiday availability
How to get started
- 1 Start as a host or busser
- 2 Move to serving in a casual venue
- 3 Progress to higher-check restaurants where tips are larger
- 4 Move into bartending or management
Job outlook: High-volume, high-turnover hiring year-round. Earnings depend far more on venue and shift than on the advertised base rate.
Common questions about servers
What does a server do?
Servers take orders and look after guests in restaurants. Base pay is often low because tips form most of the earnings — which makes advertised rates misleading on their own. Day to day, that means greet guests and take orders, advise on menu and specials, deliver food and drinks and handle payment and resolve issues.
How do you become a server?
The usual route is: (1) start as a host or busser, (2) move to serving in a casual venue, (3) progress to higher-check restaurants where tips are larger, (4) move into bartending or management. Employers typically look for no formal education required, food handler card in many areas and alcohol service certification where serving alcohol.
Do you need a certification to work as a server?
Usually not. Most employers hire servers without a specific licence, though alcohol service certification where serving alcohol will widen your options and often your pay.
Are servers in demand?
High-volume, high-turnover hiring year-round. Earnings depend far more on venue and shift than on the advertised base rate.
Why do server jobs advertise such low hourly pay?
Many states allow a lower "tipped minimum wage" on the assumption tips make up the difference — and legally your employer must top you up if they do not. Advertised rates therefore often exclude tips, which are usually the larger part of the earnings. Ask about average hourly earnings including tips rather than the base rate.
Where are servers most in demand?
See the metro and rural areas with the highest concentration of this work, ranked from Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
Similar roles
Pay figures are estimates for guidance only, not an offer or guarantee. Advertised ranges come from job postings on LocalWork; government figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Actual pay depends on experience, certifications, shift and employer.