Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,540 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,950 or more. The middle half of food servers, nonrestaurant in Durham earn between $25,660 and $38,690.
- $16K10th
- $26K25th
- $34KMedian
- $39K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $33,170 | $2,764 | $15.95 |
| Median | $34,500 | $2,875 | $16.59 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $25,660 | $2,138 | $12.34 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,690 | $3,224 | $18.60 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary after taxes in Durham
On the average salary of $33,170, a single filer in Durham takes home about $28,017 a year, or $2,335 a month and $1,078 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Durham a good place for food servers, nonrestaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $33,170 buys what about $33,995 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 12.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 7th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Goldsboro pays the most ($34,770).
- Goldsboro$34,770
- Asheville$34,750
- Raleigh$34,650
- Charlotte$34,610
- Wilmington$33,350
- Hickory$33,230
- Durham$33,170
- Greensboro$33,030
- Winston-Salem$32,670
- Pinehurst$31,550
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 Durham: questions
How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make an hour in Durham?
$15.95 an hour on average, and $16.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food servers, nonrestaurant salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,540 a year and the 25th percentile is $25,660, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food servers, nonrestaurant take-home pay in Durham?
About $28,017 a year ($2,335 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,170.
Do food servers, nonrestaurant earn more in Durham than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% less 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.4%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.13, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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