SOC 35-3041 · Boulder, CO metro

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in Boulder, CO

The average salary for food servers, nonrestaurant in Boulder, Colorado is $40,760 a year ($19.59 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,930: half of the 650 people in this job in the Boulder, CO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($36,625).

$40,760average per year

$19.59 / hourMedian $38,930Take-home ≈ $33,846

  • $32K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

650people in this job
+11%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 7Colorado metros
105cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay range in Boulder

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,800 or more. The middle half of food servers, nonrestaurant in Boulder earn between $37,170 and $44,840.

  • $32K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$40,760$3,397$19.60
Median$38,930$3,244$18.72
Entry level (25th percentile)$37,170$3,098$17.87
Experienced (75th percentile)$44,840$3,737$21.56

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary after taxes in Boulder

On the average salary of $40,760, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $33,846 a year, or $2,820 a month and $1,302 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

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Is Boulder a good place for food servers, nonrestaurant? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $40,760 buys what about $38,745 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 17.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $40,760 is worth in another city

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in other Colorado cities

Boulder ranks 2nd of 7 Colorado metro areas for this job; Denver pays the most ($41,800).

All Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salaries in Colorado

Highest-paying cities for food servers, nonrestaurant

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($59,020).

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by city

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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in Boulder: questions

How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make an hour in Boulder?

$19.59 an hour on average, and $18.72 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food servers, nonrestaurant salary in Boulder?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,170, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food servers, nonrestaurant take-home pay in Boulder?

About $33,846 a year ($2,820 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,760. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

Do food servers, nonrestaurant earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($36,625).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3041; area Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.80, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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