Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,010 or more. The middle half of food servers, nonrestaurant in Chicago earn between $33,350 and $38,040.
- $31K10th
- $33K25th
- $36KMedian
- $38K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,550 | $3,046 | $17.57 |
| Median | $35,670 | $2,972 | $17.15 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $33,350 | $2,779 | $16.03 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,040 | $3,170 | $18.29 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $36,550, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $29,880 a year, or $2,490 a month and $1,149 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $30,481 | $2,540 |
| Working in IL | $29,880 | $2,490 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for food servers, nonrestaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $36,550 buys what about $35,282 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 9.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$36,550
- Champaign$35,670
- Springfield$34,920
- Peoria$34,810
- Rockford$34,180
- Bloomington$34,020
- Decatur$33,910
- Kankakee$33,580
Highest-paying cities for food servers, nonrestaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($59,020).
- Kahului, HI$59,020
- San Jose, CA$50,590
- San Francisco, CA$48,600
- Napa, CA$48,550
- Vallejo, CA$46,710
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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in Chicago: questions
How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make an hour in Chicago?
$17.57 an hour on average, and $17.15 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food servers, nonrestaurant salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,350, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food servers, nonrestaurant take-home pay in Chicago?
About $29,880 a year ($2,490 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,550.
Do food servers, nonrestaurant earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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 (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.43, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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