WDW Servers average $76,000 per year!!!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

After all of the tipping threads I did some research and even contacted some CM's that are servers at WDW. Turns out these guys make on average $76,000. WOW!!!!!! I don't make that much as a Photographer! Take a look for yourself...


http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=server+walt+disney+world&l1=Orlando,+FL

I talked to a couple of CM's as well. One works at Chef Mickey's and the other works in Epcot World Showcase and both said they make at least $350 per day and that's low. Going to fill out an online application.....have a good night!

 

[sjaakie]

After all of the tipping threads I did some research and even contacted some CM's that are servers at WDW. Turns out these guys make on average $76,000. WOW!!!!!! I don't make that much as a Photographer! Take a look for yourself...


http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=server+walt+disney+world&l1=Orlando,+FL

I talked to a couple of CM's as well. One works at Chef Mickey's and the other works in Epcot World Showcase and both said they make at least $350 per day and that's low. Going to fill out an online application.....have a good night!

WOW no wonder they try to "stiff " guests in to tipping.

 

[septbaby]

Not sure if this is "wait staff"...all of those jobs seem to be IT jobs.

When I used the tool to search wait staff, server, etc. no data was provided. Even an ad for Raglan Road jobs didn't give salary data.

OP/Mod I'm not sure of the right thing to do here, but this one could get really hot really fast and it might be based on a misinterpretation of information.

 

[bicker]

Hahah... You're right: Data Warehouse Engineer. I bet that guy wouldn't know a palliard from a souffle.

This is closer to accurate:

http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=restaruant+server&l1=Orlando,+FL

$16,000 per year

 

[averill94]

Please.... If thats truly the case- I would put the house up for sale and start packing. Perhaps servers in finer New York restaurants make that (I know of a couple) but certainly not WDW!

 

[bicker]

I'm actually a little surprised they make only $16,000. I thought it would have been more like $25,000. Maybe the website averages part-timers together with full-timers?

 

[patsal]

Talk to a few full time servers at WDW. Years ago some of our younger teachers left and they are making far more at WDW than they would be teaching. I think you'll be surprised that the OP's figures pretty much match what I was told almost 10 years ago.

 

[ajk912]

If a server at Disneyworld is only making $25,000 a year, they must be working part time. Especially at a restaurant that is almost always packed..and most are..the check averages are high, and your tables are always full? How do you not make $200 a shift? What do they do, have to tip back 50% to the busser or something? I find that very hard to believe.

 

[mbanks21]

Theres no way a waiter ANYWHERE makes $76K a year unless theyre waiting on the king of spain.

 

[praline3001]

Theres no way a waiter ANYWHERE makes $76K a year unless theyre waiting on the king of spain.

I beg to differ ... i live in New Orleans and those servers will make a KILLING!!!!!!
Maybe not at all places ... but we are known world wide for our dining and there are engineers that don't make what a good server in New Orleans will make

 

[praline3001]

You know that 76K is sounding about right in my book... before taxes and doing the math.

76k / 52 weeks = 1,461 a week
1,461 / 5 days (assuming they get 2 days off and no overtime) = $292 a day BEFORE TAXES...

a server will have how many tables a shift?
But if they have 20 tables to serve in an 8 hour shift ....
As WDW is always PACKED to the gills...
The server would have to make $14 a table for 20 tables to make the 292 just in tips and BEFORE taxes.

Now a lot of servers work overtime.. and some get a lot more tables than 20 per shift and if that's the case that $14 would go down a lot. This does not include hourly wage.

Most people on DIS pay more than $14 to tip the servers at TS places..... so to me that number sounds about right.
Maybe its 16K hourly but with tips its more like 76K

 

[mbanks21]

Ive never waited tables but dont they have to tip out to the cooks and bussers?

 

[praline3001]

Ive never waited tables but dont they have to tip out to the cooks and bussers?

I have never been in the service industry either so I am guessing they must report ALL income and that is where the 76K comes from. You take out taxes and tips to the bussers then you would come up with a lower net income.

 

[bicker]

Regardless of the actual dollar amount restaurant servers make, the OP's link was to INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY jobs -- people who run COMPUTER SERVERS. Let's not go off the deep end here over a little mistake, eh?

 

[praline3001]

Regardless of the actual dollar amount restaurant servers make, the OP's link was to INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY jobs -- people who run COMPUTER SERVERS. Let's not go off the deep end here over a little mistake, eh?

ahhhh I didn't see that
But the number still seems to be a good ball park figure for tips
of course you have to throw in all those cheapo's who only pay 10% tips
ONLY KIDDING THAT WAS A JOKE FOLKS

 

[praline3001]

Oh I guess I should add that 76K is NOT A LOT to be making in Florida. The cost of living is through the roof in that general area! A 3 bedroom regular style middle class ranch will run you 300K in Florida where the same house in mississippi will run you 70K

Heck those servers most likely pay 70K on tolls alone

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

ok if you type in Lake Buena Vista as the location
as occupation type in waiter - 33k
waitress - 32k
food server - 15k
restaurant server - 21k

so basically... I'm going to say that the website was fairly inaccurate in what they considered a "job title".

I somewhat agree with the PP who actually analyzed what 76k pretaxes is (there are definitely variables to consider).... Not saying that the servers would make that, not at all, but I think most WDW servers make a lot more than some people think they do. Just because their "salary" is under $4/hr doesn't mean that's what they're making by any means!

 

[gigi1313]

a year or so ago there was a thread on this topic here on the disboards... and at that time it was stated that a server in the signature restaurants take in about $110,000 annually between tips and hourly wage... a LOT of calculation and "he said/she said/i heard/i have a friend" stuff was posted and consensus was that that figure was accurate for full time servers... again for signature restaurants, figuring each check is $200 which results in a $40 tip, with at least 10 tables a night for 247 nights [5 nights a week, 2 weeks vacation] comes out to $98,000 plus their hourly wage, $110K is not off the mark...

i know bartenders in the hamptons (on long island, new york) that easily make over $100K a year and typically take a month off in the winter!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I worked at Hard Rock Cafe in Myrtle Beach, SC the first three years they were open in the mid 90's. We were seasonal, busy about 6 months out of the year. Especially then before there was more year round stuff to do we'd have days in the Winter when I'd come home with only $100. However, for the year I never made less than $35,000 after my 4% tip outs and usually I'd make as high as $50,000! Rarely did I ever work a double. I actually worked the morning shift when tips are a good 25% less than a night shift! Most days I walked with @ $300 after tip out. Again, this was a decade ago, and our menu prices were nowhere near as high as WDW! No server claims everything they make either. They just don't! As long as you claim @ 8% you're safe. Now WDW, every restaurant there is slammed all the time!!! They can add grats to any party of 6 or more and they have a LOT of big parties there! People, most of them, are happy because they're at WDW and tip generously. (We always do!) Most of you reading this probably do too! So, yeah I totally believe the $76,000 to be very close to accurate! I also talked to servers that work at WDW before I posted this. (And two others have responded to me today about it.) Same story. Minimum $300 per day....I think that is excellent! If I made that kind of money every day I'd be super happy too! (Most of the servers at Disney are and this is why!) I think this is why you get great service most of the time. We've been going since 1982 and maybe 7 times out of ALL of those visits have I had a really horrible person wait on us. It's rare. I've been reading several tip threads lately though about how some servers are talking to custimers about how they should tip and so forth. There's a good way to present the awkward slips and there's a bad way. I really hope we're not given one in a rude manner as some posters have received them. While reading these boards I saw many people say being a server is a hard job. Yes, it can be a tough one. Sore legs from running around. Emotionally draining sometimes depending on the people you waited on that day, so on and so on. But at the same time many jobs are stressful and I mentioned somewhere....serving was a lot easier than rasing these three kiddos of mine! (And they're sweet kids!) In tourist areas servers make a LOT more than in small towns and such. Some waitresses barely break $10,000 a year while you have others that walk with $500 a night easy. It just depends on where you are and who you wait on. Based on what I myself have made waiting tables in the past, many years ago, the $76,000 actually sounds low to me for a full time WDW server! That's probably what they CLAIM for tax purposes. It's all good. They lucked out and it's a great job!!! I came across two other salaries for annual income of a WDW server as well. One was @ $65,000 and the other was in the mid $80's. I posted this because it was in between. If you click on the server link it goes into restaurant jobs and what's available in the food service area so if it's for computers that wouldn't make sense. Why would it take you to a sous chef? Anyway, it's probably very close to accurate. It's not a bad thing, it's a GREAT thing actually. If people are making good money they're happy people and WDW needs happy people!!! The whole World needs them so please, don't take anything negative from this! It's all GOOD! Seriously if I lived in FL I would so be in line for one of those jobs! Can you imagine how much fun they have seeing all these families having the time of their lives and these happy little kids all dressed up in the Mickey ears having fun at Disney!? How could you not go home happy!?

 

[praline3001]

a year or so ago there was a thread on this topic here on the disboards... and at that time it was stated that a server in the signature restaurants take in about $110,000 annually between tips and hourly wage... a LOT of calculation and "he said/she said/i heard/i have a friend" stuff was posted and consensus was that that figure was accurate for full time servers... again for signature restaurants, figuring each check is $200 which results in a $40 tip, with at least 10 tables a night for 247 nights [5 nights a week, 2 weeks vacation] comes out to $98,000 plus their hourly wage, $110K is not off the mark...

i know bartenders in the hamptons (on long island, new york) that easily make over $100K a year and typically take a month off in the winter!

I can believe that some of the servers make a bundle at the signature dining places. I know for our family of 5 the bill will run around 250-300 bucks. Tipping at 18-20% comes to around 55-60 bucks just for 1 table.
I was thinking the regular TS's servers made around 70-76K and the signature dining servers make more. I am sure the buffet servers make less as there is a lot of confusion over how much to tip a buffet server on the DIS let alone the rest of the clueless world LOL

I do want to make it clear... that is NOT a lot of money in Florida where the cost of living is extremely high.
To someone in middle America that may seem like a fortune for wait staff but if you look at the cost of living ... it is really impossible to live in Florida for under 50K. and that is in the slums and slim pickings kind of living....