How much does a server make?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics groups this role under Waiters and Waitresses (SOC 35-3031). In its May 2025 wage survey, the national median was $16.94 an hour, or about $35,230 a year for full-time work, across roughly 2,270,910 people employed nationally. The middle of the market sits between $8.70 at the 10th percentile and $31.12 at the 90th.
Server pay in Boston
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area, the median for waiters and waitresses was $18.88 an hour ($39,270a year), reflecting Massachusetts' higher minimum wage and cost of living.
What moves the number
Server pay depends heavily on tips, which vary with the concept, the price point, and how busy the shifts are. Experience, shift mix, and whether the restaurant serves alcohol also move earnings. Local minimum wage rules and tip credit laws differ by state and city, so base pay can look very different from one market to another.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. BLS figures for tipped roles may not capture all tip income. The BLS category is the closest official match for this role, not an exact one.
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