SOC 35-3041 · Fargo, ND-MN metro

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in Fargo, ND

The average salary for food servers, nonrestaurant in Fargo, North Dakota is $38,790 a year ($18.65 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,720: half of the 540 people in this job in the Fargo, ND-MN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,140).

$38,790average per year

$18.65 / hourMedian $36,720Take-home ≈ $33,348

  • $32K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

540people in this job
+7%vs U.S. average
#1 of 4North Dakota metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay range in Fargo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,670 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,690 or more. The middle half of food servers, nonrestaurant in Fargo earn between $35,370 and $43,180.

  • $32K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,790$3,232$18.65
Median$36,720$3,060$17.65
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,370$2,948$17.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,180$3,598$20.76

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

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay in Fargo vs. North Dakota and the U.S.

Food servers, nonrestaurant in Fargo earn about the same as the North Dakota average ($38,080) and 7% more than the U.S. average ($36,140). At the median the gap is +4% against the U.S. median of $35,360.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fargo$38,790$36,720$31,670$46,690540
North Dakota$38,080$36,910$31,140$46,3201,630
United States$36,140$35,360$28,030$46,120293,900

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary after taxes in Fargo

On the average salary of $38,790, a single filer in Fargo takes home about $33,348 a year, or $2,779 a month and $1,283 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

The Fargo, ND-MN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in ND$33,348$2,779
Working in MN$32,091$2,674

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Dakota paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Fargo area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.9), so the average $38,790 buys what about $42,687 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Fargo ($51,050). A typical home costs $327,854, or 8.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,790 is worth in another city

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in other North Dakota cities

Fargo ranks 1st of 4 North Dakota metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salaries in North Dakota

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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Reviewed before it counts. Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in Fargo, ND.

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in Fargo: questions

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

$18.65 an hour on average, and $17.65 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,670 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,370, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $33,348 a year ($2,779 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,790.

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

The average here is 7% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,140).

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 Fargo, ND-MN (22020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 1.93, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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