Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay in California
$43,580avg. a year
$20.95 an hour · 32,430 employed
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in California earn an average of $43,580 a year. That is $7,440 (21%) more than the U.S. average of $36,140. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $50,590.
$39,010Median pay
$20.95Average hourly
+26%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for food servers, nonrestaurant by metro area. Swipe to see all 24.
11,960 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$50,590
$24.32 an hour
24,160 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$48,600
$23.36 an hour
3240 jobs
Napa, CA
$48,550
$23.34 an hour
4300 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$46,710
$22.46 an hour
51,980 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$44,510
$21.40 an hour
650 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$44,210
$21.26 an hour
7520 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$43,510
$20.92 an hour
811,850 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$42,740
$20.55 an hour
9310 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$42,460
$20.41 an hour
10400 jobs
Salinas, CA
$42,430
$20.40 an hour
11450 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$42,330
$20.35 an hour
12700 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$41,530
$19.97 an hour
13500 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$41,480
$19.94 an hour
143,400 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$41,400
$19.91 an hour
15170 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$41,170
$19.79 an hour
162,290 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$40,930
$19.68 an hour
17360 jobs
Modesto, CA
$40,170
$19.31 an hour
18490 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$40,150
$19.30 an hour
1960 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$39,970
$19.22 an hour
20830 jobs
Fresno, CA
$39,910
$19.19 an hour
21130 jobs
Chico, CA
$39,600
$19.04 an hour
22270 jobs
Visalia, CA
$37,760
$18.15 an hour
2350 jobs
El Centro, CA
$37,650
$18.10 an hour
24170 jobs
Redding, CA
$37,110
$17.84 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California food servers, nonrestaurant work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $32k$32k–$34k$34k–$38k$38k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $36,140 | $17.37 |
| California | $43,580 | $20.95 |
| Oregon | $39,210 | $18.85 |
| Nevada | $38,240 | $18.39 |
| Arizona | $36,990 | $17.78 |
Related jobs in California
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$41,680
- Waiters and Waitresses$44,600
- Bartenders$44,780
- Cooks, Restaurant$45,020
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$52,810
- Food Preparation Workers$41,480
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make in California?
The average is $43,580 a year, and the median is $39,010. That is $7,440 (21%) more than the U.S. average of $36,140.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$20.95 an hour on average; the median is $18.75.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($50,590), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($48,600). The lowest average among 24 metro areas with data is Redding, CA ($37,110).
How does California rank?
California ranks #2 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-3041. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national food servers, nonrestaurant page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.