SOC 35-3041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — State College
State College, PA · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in State College, PA is $33,540 per year, close to the national median of $35,360 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.0%
- Openings per year
- 48,000
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for State College, PA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in State College, PA is $33,540 per year, close to the national median of $35,360 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $20,960 at the tenth percentile to more than $39,010 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $28,160 to $38,560.
Employment stands at 130, or 1.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Williamsport leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $36,170. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 214th of 237 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $20,960 | −40.7% |
| 25th | $28,160 | −20.4% |
| Median (50th) | $33,540 | −5.1% |
| 75th | $38,560 | +9.0% |
| 90th | $39,010 | +10.3% |
| Mean | $31,360 | −11.3% |
Other metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williamsport | $36,170 | 150 | |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | $34,630 | 2,340 | |
| 3 | Allentown | $34,370 | 950 | |
| 4 | Chambersburg | $33,790 | 170 | |
| 5 | York | $33,500 | 340 | |
| 6 | Harrisburg | $33,380 | 670 | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | $33,300 | 7,610 | |
| 8 | Lebanon | $33,040 | 100 | |
| 9 | Erie | $32,300 | 280 | |
| 10 | Reading | $30,810 | 380 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in State College run 3.2% below the national average, so the median of $33,540 goes as far as $34,649 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 2.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$33,540as reported by BLSLocal price level
96.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$34,649US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $33,540 a year, 5.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $20,960 to $39,010 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 130 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Williamsport, at $36,170.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in State College, PA?
The median annual wage is $33,540, or $16.12 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $35,360, so pay in State College, PA is 5.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in State College, PA earns more than $39,010 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $20,960 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Williamsport, at $36,170 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 130 jobs in this occupation in State College, PA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data