Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary — Salem, Oregon

The average Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in Salem, Oregon earns $38,150 a year.

$38,150 / year, mean
↑ 4.2% above national average 62th percentile in Oregon

Salem sits roughly in the middle of the pack for this role within Oregon — neither a standout nor a laggard. That's close to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurant — a fairly typical rate for this role. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Oregon

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
580
Estimate confidence
RSE 0.8%
Cost of living 104 #29 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2419 #180 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $454,689 #32 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $76,010 #65 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Salem ranks #29 for cost of living and #32 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $50,590 San Francisco $48,600 Napa $48,550 Vallejo $46,710 Sacramento $44,510 Hanford $44,210 Seattle $43,720 Santa Rosa $43,510 Los Angeles $42,740 San Luis Obispo $42,460 Salinas $42,430 New York $42,360 Santa Maria $42,330 Oxnard $41,530 Stockton $41,480 Olympia $41,440 San Diego $41,400 Santa Cruz $41,170 Kennewick $41,080 Riverside $40,930 Portland $40,660 Bend $40,540 Modesto $40,170 Bakersfield $40,150 Bremerton $40,010 Yuba City $39,970 Fresno $39,910 Ithaca $39,770 Spokane $39,620 Chico $39,600 Kiryas Joel $39,240 Mount Vernon $38,730 Grants Pass $38,670 Salem $38,150 Longview $38,140 Yakima $37,970 Wenatchee $37,950 Visalia $37,760 Bellingham $37,670 El Centro $37,650 Binghamton $37,370 Atlantic City $37,340 Lexington Park $37,330 Vineland $37,330 Naples $37,240 Kingston $37,110 Redding $37,110 Walla Walla $37,090 Albany $37,060 Syracuse $36,920 Glens Falls $36,880 Battle Creek $36,850 Rochester $36,830 Trenton $36,770 Albany $36,730 Chicago $36,550 Medford $36,420 Baltimore $36,410 Eugene $36,250 Utica $36,050 Buffalo $35,690 Champaign $35,670 Saginaw $35,590 Miami $35,560 Corvallis $35,420 Richmond $35,250 Kalamazoo $35,240 Fort Wayne $35,150 Allentown $34,970 Springfield $34,920 Chambersburg $34,900 Peoria $34,810 Charlottesville $34,760 Port St. Lucie $34,740 Tampa $34,730 Philadelphia $34,650 Muskegon $34,570 Jacksonville $34,560 Fort Myers $34,540 Sarasota $34,460 Detroit $34,430 Williamsport $34,400 Virginia Beach $34,230 Salisbury $34,200 Rockford $34,180 Staunton $34,170 Traverse City $34,150 Crestview $34,040 Orlando $34,030 Bloomington $34,020 Gainesville $33,940 Hagerstown $33,920 Decatur $33,910 Lakeland $33,850 Palm Bay $33,840 York $33,810 Lynchburg $33,740 Winchester $33,730 Pittsburgh $33,610 Kankakee $33,580 Lansing $33,570 Harrisburg $33,490 Ann Arbor $33,450 Louisville $33,290 Reading $33,240 Bay City $32,950 Grand Rapids $32,940 Huntington $32,930 Terre Haute $32,920 Midland $32,900 Lebanon $32,880 Roanoke $32,840 Deltona $32,820 Indianapolis $32,810 Pensacola $32,610 Erie $32,600 Harrisonburg $32,560 Blacksburg $32,550 Sebastian $32,550 Scranton $32,460 Elkhart $32,390 Austin $32,350 Ocala $32,290 Dover $32,240 Niles $32,090 Bowling Green $32,020 Lancaster $31,590 Columbus $31,530 Jackson $31,460 Dallas $31,380 State College $31,360 Evansville $31,330 Flint $31,230 Weirton $31,170 Kokomo $31,080 Tallahassee $31,080 Lafayette $30,990 Owensboro $30,950 Lexington $30,900 South Bend $30,600 Homosassa Springs $30,220 Gettysburg $30,020 Sebring $29,970 Houston $29,730 San Antonio $29,660 Muncie $29,520 Altoona $29,400 El Paso $29,150 Wheeling $29,140 Charleston $29,110 Lubbock $28,460 Amarillo $28,420 Killeen $28,270 Tyler $28,240 Johnstown $28,160 Sherman $28,140 Beaumont $28,070 Waco $27,980 Abilene $27,170 Odessa $27,080 Wichita Falls $26,960 Longview $26,890 Corpus Christi $26,170 Texarkana $25,810 College Station $24,770
CityMean salaryvs. Salem
Abilene, Texas$27,170-28.8%
Albany, Oregon$37,060-2.9%
Albany, New York$36,730-3.7%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$34,970-8.3%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$29,400-22.9%
Amarillo, Texas$28,420-25.5%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$33,450-12.3%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$37,340-2.1%
Austin, Texas$32,350-15.2%
Bakersfield, California$40,150+5.2%
Baltimore, Maryland$36,410-4.6%
Battle Creek, Michigan$36,850-3.4%
Bay City, Michigan$32,950-13.6%
Beaumont, Texas$28,070-26.4%
Bellingham, Washington$37,670-1.3%
Bend, Oregon$40,540+6.3%
Binghamton, New York$37,370-2.0%
Blacksburg, Virginia$32,550-14.7%
Bloomington, Illinois$34,020-10.8%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$32,020-16.1%
Bremerton, Washington$40,010+4.9%
Buffalo, New York$35,690-6.4%
Fort Myers, Florida$34,540-9.5%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$34,900-8.5%
Champaign, Illinois$35,670-6.5%
Charleston, West Virginia$29,110-23.7%
Charlottesville, Virginia$34,760-8.9%
Chicago, Illinois$36,550-4.2%
Chico, California$39,600+3.8%
College Station, Texas$24,770-35.1%
Columbus, Indiana$31,530-17.4%
Corpus Christi, Texas$26,170-31.4%
Corvallis, Oregon$35,420-7.2%
Crestview, Florida$34,040-10.8%
Dallas, Texas$31,380-17.7%
Decatur, Illinois$33,910-11.1%
Deltona, Florida$32,820-14.0%
Detroit, Michigan$34,430-9.8%
Dover, Delaware$32,240-15.5%
El Centro, California$37,650-1.3%
Elkhart, Indiana$32,390-15.1%
El Paso, Texas$29,150-23.6%
Erie, Pennsylvania$32,600-14.5%
Eugene, Oregon$36,250-5.0%
Evansville, Indiana$31,330-17.9%
Flint, Michigan$31,230-18.1%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$35,150-7.9%
Fresno, California$39,910+4.6%
Gainesville, Florida$33,940-11.0%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$30,020-21.3%
Glens Falls, New York$36,880-3.3%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$32,940-13.7%
Grants Pass, Oregon$38,670+1.4%
Hagerstown, Maryland$33,920-11.1%
Hanford, California$44,210+15.9%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$33,490-12.2%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$32,560-14.7%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$30,220-20.8%
Houston, Texas$29,730-22.1%
Huntington, West Virginia$32,930-13.7%
Indianapolis, Indiana$32,810-14.0%
Ithaca, New York$39,770+4.2%
Jackson, Michigan$31,460-17.5%
Jacksonville, Florida$34,560-9.4%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$28,160-26.2%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$35,240-7.6%
Kankakee, Illinois$33,580-12.0%
Kennewick, Washington$41,080+7.7%
Killeen, Texas$28,270-25.9%
Kingston, New York$37,110-2.7%
Kiryas Joel, New York$39,240+2.9%
Kokomo, Indiana$31,080-18.5%
Lafayette, Indiana$30,990-18.8%
Lakeland, Florida$33,850-11.3%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$31,590-17.2%
Lansing, Michigan$33,570-12.0%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$32,880-13.8%
Lexington, Kentucky$30,900-19.0%
Lexington Park, Maryland$37,330-2.1%
Longview, Texas$26,890-29.5%
Longview, Washington$38,140-0.0%
Los Angeles, California$42,740+12.0%
Louisville, Kentucky$33,290-12.7%
Lubbock, Texas$28,460-25.4%
Lynchburg, Virginia$33,740-11.6%
Medford, Oregon$36,420-4.5%
Miami, Florida$35,560-6.8%
Midland, Texas$32,900-13.8%
Modesto, California$40,170+5.3%
Mount Vernon, Washington$38,730+1.5%
Muncie, Indiana$29,520-22.6%
Muskegon, Michigan$34,570-9.4%
Napa, California$48,550+27.3%
Naples, Florida$37,240-2.4%
New York, New York$42,360+11.0%
Niles, Michigan$32,090-15.9%
Sarasota, Florida$34,460-9.7%
Ocala, Florida$32,290-15.4%
Odessa, Texas$27,080-29.0%
Olympia, Washington$41,440+8.6%
Orlando, Florida$34,030-10.8%
Owensboro, Kentucky$30,950-18.9%
Oxnard, California$41,530+8.9%
Palm Bay, Florida$33,840-11.3%
Pensacola, Florida$32,610-14.5%
Peoria, Illinois$34,810-8.8%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$34,650-9.2%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$33,610-11.9%
Portland, Oregon$40,660+6.6%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$34,740-8.9%
Reading, Pennsylvania$33,240-12.9%
Redding, California$37,110-2.7%
Richmond, Virginia$35,250-7.6%
Riverside, California$40,930+7.3%
Roanoke, Virginia$32,840-13.9%
Rochester, New York$36,830-3.5%
Rockford, Illinois$34,180-10.4%
Sacramento, California$44,510+16.7%
Saginaw, Michigan$35,590-6.7%
Salinas, California$42,430+11.2%
Salisbury, Maryland$34,200-10.4%
San Antonio, Texas$29,660-22.3%
San Diego, California$41,400+8.5%
San Francisco, California$48,600+27.4%
San Jose, California$50,590+32.6%
San Luis Obispo, California$42,460+11.3%
Santa Cruz, California$41,170+7.9%
Santa Maria, California$42,330+11.0%
Santa Rosa, California$43,510+14.0%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$32,460-14.9%
Seattle, Washington$43,720+14.6%
Sebastian, Florida$32,550-14.7%
Sebring, Florida$29,970-21.4%
Sherman, Texas$28,140-26.2%
South Bend, Indiana$30,600-19.8%
Spokane, Washington$39,620+3.9%
Springfield, Illinois$34,920-8.5%
State College, Pennsylvania$31,360-17.8%
Staunton, Virginia$34,170-10.4%
Stockton, California$41,480+8.7%
Syracuse, New York$36,920-3.2%
Tallahassee, Florida$31,080-18.5%
Tampa, Florida$34,730-9.0%
Terre Haute, Indiana$32,920-13.7%
Texarkana, Texas$25,810-32.3%
Traverse City, Michigan$34,150-10.5%
Trenton, New Jersey$36,770-3.6%
Tyler, Texas$28,240-26.0%
Utica, New York$36,050-5.5%
Vallejo, California$46,710+22.4%
Vineland, New Jersey$37,330-2.1%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$34,230-10.3%
Visalia, California$37,760-1.0%
Waco, Texas$27,980-26.7%
Walla Walla, Washington$37,090-2.8%
Weirton, West Virginia$31,170-18.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$37,950-0.5%
Wheeling, West Virginia$29,140-23.6%
Wichita Falls, Texas$26,960-29.3%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$34,400-9.8%
Winchester, Virginia$33,730-11.6%
Yakima, Washington$37,970-0.5%
York, Pennsylvania$33,810-11.4%
Yuba City, California$39,970+4.8%
Gross salary
38,150/yr
Estimated take-home
30,263/yr
Est. total withheld
20.7%

Single filer, federal + Oregon state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salaries in Oregon → All Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Salem

These notes add local color around Salem, Oregon: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-3041 SOC code
Official area Salem, OR BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 41420 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: or_dor_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Oregon

Population (metro area)
435,085