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Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2025

Does the average Denver restaurant server make less than $40,000 a year?

Por Jaijongkit, The Colorado Sun
yes

Waiters and waitresses in the Denver metropolitan area make an average of $39,170 annually, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2023, the most recent available. 

Nonrestaurant food servers make $39,488 while bartenders make $39,345, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment data shows. These numbers are close to the average salary for all food preparation and serving-related occupations in the Denver metro, at $39,780.

Among wait staff salaries, the lowest 10% earn $28,392 while the top 10% earn $66,477. 

The average full-time salary of all employees in the Denver metro area is around $76,000. 

To afford annual living expenses in Denver, an adult with no children must earn $27.01 per hour, or around $56,000 per year. A couple with no children must each earn $18.33 per hour, for a total household income of roughly $76,250 annually. 

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