Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary in Baltimore, MD
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median $35,710 a year — 1% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $29,540 take-home, or $2,462 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median food servers, nonrestaurant salary in Baltimore, MD. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,105
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,214
- Medicare (1.45%)$518
- Maryland income tax$1,333
- Take-home pay$29,540
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.75% state
Living in Baltimore City? City residents also pay Baltimore City’s city income tax — about $933 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $28,607 ($2,384 a month). Choose “Baltimore City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay by experience in Baltimore, MD
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $31,550 | $15.17 | $26,395 | $2,200 |
| 25th percentile | $34,050 | $16.37 | $28,285 | $2,357 |
| Median (50th) | $35,710 | $17.17 | $29,540 | $2,462 |
| 75th percentile | $37,310 | $17.94 | $30,750 | $2,562 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $40,990 | $19.71 | $33,532 | $2,794 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maryland resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $35,710 buys in Baltimore, MD
Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median food servers, nonrestaurant's $29,540 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,272 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Baltimore, MD has 1.4× the national concentration of food servers, nonrestaurant jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for food servers, nonrestaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Baltimore, MD ranks #14 of 25 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $44,710 | $36,746 | $31,783 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $40,640 | $34,834 | $31,345 |
| 3 | Denver, CO | $39,850 | $33,154 | $31,342 |
| 4 | St. Louis, MO | $34,340 | $29,096 | $30,599 |
| 5 | Tampa, FL | $34,480 | $29,885 | $29,621 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $32,250 | $27,988 | $29,317 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $35,690 | $30,173 | $29,205 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $32,070 | $27,849 | $29,201 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $35,710 | $29,540 | $28,272 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 25 metros →
About the job: food servers, nonrestaurant
Serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +4.5% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a food servers, nonrestaurant make in Baltimore, MD?
The median food servers, nonrestaurant salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area is $35,710 a year, or about $17.17 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $34,050 and $37,310.
What is a food servers, nonrestaurant’s take-home pay in Baltimore, MD?
On the median $35,710 salary, a single filer living in Maryland takes home about $29,540 a year ($2,462 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,333 in Maryland taxes in 2026.
Is Baltimore, MD a good place to work as a food servers, nonrestaurant?
Pay here is 1% above the national median of $35,360. Local prices are 4.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,272 would in a typical U.S. city. Baltimore, MD ranks #14 of 25 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford rent in Baltimore, MD?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Baltimore, MD is $1,511 a month ($1,857 for two bedrooms) — 61% of a median food servers, nonrestaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Baltimore, MD
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,760
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $37,540
- Cooks, Restaurant — $37,420
- Bartender — $37,360
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,170
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,080
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $34,320
- Cooks, Fast Food — $33,290
- Dishwasher — $33,280
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $33,090