Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay range in Reading
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,550 or more. The middle half of food servers, nonrestaurant in Reading earn between $28,230 and $38,400.
- $24K10th
- $28K25th
- $31KMedian
- $38K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $33,240 | $2,770 | $15.98 |
| Median | $30,810 | $2,568 | $14.81 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,230 | $2,352 | $13.57 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,400 | $3,200 | $18.46 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary after taxes in Reading
On the average salary of $33,240, a single filer in Reading takes home about $27,868 a year, or $2,322 a month and $1,072 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 (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Reading a good place for food servers, nonrestaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $33,240 buys what about $34,247 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Reading ranks 8th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Allentown pays the most ($34,970).
- Allentown$34,970
- Chambersburg$34,900
- Philadelphia$34,650
- Williamsport$34,400
- York$33,810
- Pittsburgh$33,610
- Harrisburg$33,490
- Reading$33,240
- Lebanon$32,880
- Erie$32,600
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 Reading: questions
How much do food servers, nonrestaurant make an hour in Reading?
$15.98 an hour on average, and $14.81 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food servers, nonrestaurant salary in Reading?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,230, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food servers, nonrestaurant take-home pay in Reading?
About $27,868 a year ($2,322 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,240. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do food servers, nonrestaurant earn more in Reading 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 Reading, PA (39740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.16, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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