How Much Does a Fine Dining Server Make in the United States?
The average salary for a Fine Dining Server in the United States is base plus tips per month or $56,584 base plus tips per year, according to the most recent data averaged from Glassdoor, Indeed and ZipRecruiter.
Average Fine Dining Server Base Salary:
The average wage for a Fine Dining Server is base plus tips per hour.
Fine Dining Servers receive a significant portion of their income from tips.
The tipping standard for upscale restaurants is between 16% and 18%, while anything below 15% is generally considered unacceptable.
Annual Mean Wage of Fine Dining Servers by State
[Calculated using Indeed, Salary.com and ZipRecruiter data]
This map is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the map to see detailed data.
Fine Dining Server Salary in Major US Cities
Annual mean wage $55,052
Annual mean wage $62,882
Annual mean wage $58,539
Annual mean wage $57,968
[Calculated using Indeed, Salary.com and ZipRecruiter data]
High-Paying Cities for Fine Dining Servers
| City | Avg Salary | Avg Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| NYC, NY | 62,882 | 30.23 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 57,968 | 27.87 |
| Chicago, IL | 58,539 | 28.14 |
| Miami, FL | 55,052 | 26.47 |
Average Fine Dining Server Salary by State
Explore the average Fine Dining Server salary by state.
| State | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,166 |
| Alaska | $61,416 |
| Arizona | $58,072 |
| Arkansas | $53,832 |
| California | $55,526 |
| Colorado | $57,007 |
| Connecticut | $58,405 |
| Delaware | $50,333 |
| Florida | $55,359 |
| Georgia | $61,914 |
| Hawaii | $58,956 |
| Idaho | $68,953 |
| Illinois | $56,994 |
| Indiana | $62,838 |
| Iowa | $46,903 |
| Kansas | $56,117 |
| Kentucky | $48,279 |
| Louisiana | $48,655 |
| Maine | $58,572 |
| Maryland | $44,880 |
| Massachusetts | $58,509 |
| Michigan | $59,385 |
| Minnesota | $60,445 |
| Mississippi | $47,493 |
| Missouri | $52,953 |
| Montana | $53,009 |
| Nebraska | $56,342 |
| Nevada | $52,583 |
| New Hampshire | $71,118 |
| New Jersey | $62,744 |
| New Mexico | $58,744 |
| New York | $55,712 |
| North Carolina | $55,241 |
| North Dakota | $61,104 |
| Ohio | $54,993 |
| Oklahoma | $50,783 |
| Oregon | $55,442 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,537 |
| Rhode Island | $55,333 |
| South Carolina | $62,851 |
| South Dakota | $54,965 |
| Tennessee | $55,749 |
| Texas | $53,509 |
| Utah | $54,811 |
| Vermont | $75,278 |
| Virginia | $55,858 |
| Washington | $59,677 |
| West Virginia | $54,976 |
| Wisconsin | $52,012 |
| Wyoming | $75,110 |
| District of Columbia | $60,615 |
How Much Do Similar Careers to a Fine Dining Server Get Paid?
Fine Dining Servers earn more than Servers and Hosts/Hostesses, but less than Sommeliers.
| Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Server | |
| Host/Hostess | |
| Sommelier |
Labor Laws and Taxes for Fine Dining Servers
As a Fine Dining Server, you need to be aware of the minimum wage, overtime pay, leave and tipping policies in your state.
Check out the guides below or view more labor laws:
- New York Labor Law Guide
- Illinois Labor Law Guide
- California Labor Law Guide
- Florida Labor Law Guide
To easily calculate federal, state and local taxes in your state, use our free Paycheck Calculator.
