In this salary guide, we offer insights into how much you can earn as a Food Runner in the U.S., where you can make the most money and what you can do to increase your earnings.
We also included a Paycheck Calculator to help you estimate your take-home pay after federal, state and local taxes.
How Much Do Food Runners Make?
Food Runners in the U.S. earn an average base salary of $29,691 per year or $3,632 per month before tips.
Depending on the policies of the employer, Food Runners receive tips that can significantly increase their income.
What Is the Hourly Wage for Food Runners?
Food Runners make $14 per hour.
What Is the Weekly Wage for Food Runners?
Food Runners earn $571 a week.
How a Food Runner’s Salary Can Vary
The salaries of Food Runners can vary according to the type of establishment, level of experience and geographical location.
Type of establishment
Food Runners working in high-end restaurants and hotels tend to receive higher salaries.
For example, in our list of Food Runner jobs in the U.S., RH Rooftop Restaurant, a luxurious dining establishment in Illinois, offers Food Runners a salary range of $41,600 to $52,000 per year.
Meanwhile, in our job listing in New York City, The Tillary Hotel Brooklyn, a four-star hotel, provides Food Runners with $37,440 annually.
Since upscale establishments have premium pricing and tips are generally based on the total bill, Food Runners can also earn more in tips compared to those in casual service and dining places.
Level of experience
Tenured Food Runners can earn as much as $37,760 per year. This is 48% higher than what those with less than a year of experience receive, which is $25,510 per year.
Employers value experienced Food Runners because of their accuracy, attention to detail and customer service skills.
Location
New York, the food capital of the world, is the highest-paying state for Food Runners with an average base salary of $43,840 per year.
With approximately 25,000 restaurants in New York City alone catering to both locals and tourists, employers need Food Runners to handle high-volume of service efficiently.
In contrast, West Virginia, located in a mountain region and being among the least populous states, has a small demand for Food Runners. This contributes to the region offering the lowest salary, which is $24,067 per year. To see how salaries for Food Runners vary per state, check out our map below.
This map is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the map to see detailed data.
Aside from New York, Food Runners working in the District of Columbia, New Mexico and Massachusetts also enjoy higher salaries.
How Much Is Your Take-Home Pay as a Food Runner?
If you’re eyeing a Food Runner job and want to know how much you’ll take home after taxes, our Paycheck Calculator shows your salary following statutory deductions depending on the state you’re working in.
Total Tax
Net pay
Disclaimer: Please note that this paycheck calculator is designed to provide an estimate and should not be considered as professional tax advice. The actual withholding amounts and taxes owed may vary depending on individual circumstances and other factors. For accurate and personalized tax advice, we recommend consulting with a tax professional.
How To Make More Money as a Food Runner
Here are a few tips to increase your earnings as a Food Runner:
- Prioritize applying to upscale establishments: Luxurious hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers offer a higher base pay. Guests in these places also have higher disposable incomes, making them more willing to leave generous tips if they find the service satisfactory.
- Highlight relevant skills: When negotiating salary with a potential employer, consider highlighting excellent communication, time management and organizational skills. You can also emphasize your ability to work well in teams and stay calm under pressure. Based on the most recent job postings for Food Runners, these are the skills most sought after by employers.
- Negotiate for non-monetary benefits: Employee perks such as commuter benefits, free meals and 401(k) matching can add to your overall earnings. Commuter benefits and free meals significantly reduce your daily personal expenses. Meanwhile, 401(k) matching lowers your taxable income and helps you invest for retirement.
Food Runner Salary Compared to Other Similar Positions
In the U.S., Food Runners earn less than Waiters, Servers and Hosts. With experience, Food Runners can transition to these roles and earn higher wages.
| Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Food Runner | |
| Waiter/Waitress | |
| Server | |
| Host/Hostess |
Food Runner Salary FAQs
Using our methodology, we found the following data:
The pay structure for Food Runners can vary depending on the employer. The majority of employers featured on our job pages pay Food Runners by the hour. However, Food Runners who are assigned supervisory duties are salaried.
Servers have more direct interaction with customers. Their duties include welcoming guests, taking orders and handling payments.
Food Runners rarely receive tips directly from customers. They obtain tips either through a tipping pool or a tip-out method.
- Tipping pool: This method ensures even distribution of tips among restaurant workers, including back-of-the-house staff. All the tips received by the employees are combined and distributed based on agreed factors, including the number of hours worked.
- Tip-out: This structure involves Waiters and Servers sharing a percentage of their tips with front-of-the-house support workers, such as Food Runners, Hosts and Barbacks.
Food Runner Salary Data
All salary figures included in this guide were calculated using estimates from various job posting websites. For more information regarding our sources and process of collecting and calculating salary data, please visit our methodology page.
