Money · 1 of 5
What servers make
Median
$35,230
Bottom tenth
$18,100
Top tenth
$64,720
The national median is $35,230 a year. The bottom tenth earn $18,100 or less and the top tenth $64,720 or more (2025 federal wage survey). These yearly figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, 40 hours a week all year. Many servers work fewer hours than that, so their real yearly pay is lower. Which restaurant you work in makes a big difference.