How Much do Bussers Make?

Bussers help to keep restaurant service running smoothly by clearing tables and keeping the dining room clean and sanitized. They also help table servers with many of their responsibilities throughout a shift.

Bussers work hard to make sure that tables can be turned over quickly to keep sales flowing. In this article, we’ll discuss how much bussers make based on our research. And we’ll provide some tips for increasing your earnings as a busser.

How Much do Restaurant Bussers Make?

On average, bussers earn between $19,000 and $32,000 annually, which translates to between $9 and $13 an hour. We got those numbers from the data reported in these three sources:

• Salary.com reports that the bottom 10% of bussers earn $9 an hour and that the top 10% earn $13 an hour, with an average of $11/hour. That works out to about $22,000 if working full-time.

• Talent.com reports that bussers earn between $21,450 and $32,663, with a median national salary of $23,400. That range is based on 686 busser salaries in Virginia. Talent.com provides ranges for each state.

• Zippia.com reports that the national average for a busser's salary is $24,111 annually, or $11,59 an hour. They report a range between $17,000 and $33,000 for bussers.

One of the best ways to determine how much you should earn as a busser is by asking bussers in other local restaurants what they are paid. That way, you can get a good idea of how much your skills are worth to similar restaurants. It might seem taboo to discuss earnings, but asking others how much they make can help you to know when you’re being compensated fairly.

Bussers Earn Hourly Wages and Tip Share

Bussers typically earn both hourly wages and a percentage of the server’s tips, called tip share. Some restaurants will offer bussers only an hourly wage, but most restaurants require servers to “tip out” the bussers that support their work.

Some restaurants will allow servers to decide how much to tip out to bussers and other support staff based on how much they helped the server during the shift. Many restaurants, though, require servers to pay a portion of their tips to bussers.

What Influences Bussers’ Wages?

The amount a busser is paid is influenced by a few factors. The biggest factor is the expectations that the restaurant has for bussers. A busser’s duties, tasks, and skills required to perform the job should directly relate to how much they earn from both hourly wages and tip share.

The kind of restaurant where you work as a busser will also determine how much you are compensated. Typically, the busiest restaurants need bussers to keep the pace of service flowing smoothly. But when the restaurant or sales are slow, you might expect to work fewer hours and earn less from tip share as a busser.

Bussers’ wages are also dependent on their skills and experiences. If you have a long, successful work history in food service or a related field, you might expect to start with a higher-than-average hourly wage.

How to Earn More as a Busser

Working in a support role in a restaurant is a great way to learn the ropes of the restaurant industry. Working as a busser comes with a lot of opportunities to move up through the ranks of restaurant service staff. Restaurants are often willing to hire bussers with little or no experience and provide them with valuable training.

Seeking opportunities to move into a higher-paying role in the industry is typically the best way to increase your wages. The natural career progression for a busser is to move up into a role as a server. 

But maybe serving isn’t for you. Once you learn a bit about the industry, becoming a bartender or cook gives you the best chance of earning a higher wage. Keep in mind that restaurants often reward loyalty. Working at the same restaurant or bar for a long time and waiting for the opportunity to move into higher-paying positions is often a better strategy than trying to jump into roles at other restaurants.

Negotiating for Higher Busser Wages

There are two ways to negotiate higher earnings as a busser: you can either advocate for a higher hourly wage or a higher percentage of tips share. Either way, it's important to show the management of the restaurant and the rest of the staff that you bring valuable skills to the table.

When negotiating for a higher wage, make a list of some specific times when you went above and beyond to help a server or a guest. And be on the lookout for opportunities to take on additional responsibilities that will help you to make your case for a higher wage.

Asking for a higher percentage of tip share might be more tricky. Many restaurants have established tip-sharing policies that apply to all the support staff in the restaurant. You might broach this topic if you find that the percentage of tip share at your restaurant is lower than many similar establishments in your area.

Start Your Restaurant Service Career as a Busser

Working as a busser is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door of the restaurant industry. Busy restaurants wouldn’t operate as smoothly, or as profitably, without support staff. Becoming a busser is an excellent start to a career in food service!

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