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What is a Food Server?
Job Description & Duties Serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars.
Daily Life Of a Food Server
- Stock service stations with items, such as ice, napkins, or straws.
- Load trays with accessories such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.
- Record amounts and types of special food items served to customers.
- Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled.
- Total checks, present them to customers, and accept payment for services.
- Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
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What Every Food Server Should Know
Food Servers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Types of Food Server
- Curb Attendant
- Room Attendant
- Room Service Waiter/Waitress
- Cotton Candy Maker
- Curb Hop
Food Server Employment Estimates
There were about 263,800 jobs for Food Server in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 26,900 new jobs for Food Server by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 43,100 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Food Server are Utah, Arizona, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, District of Columbia, or Connecticut. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Food Server
The average yearly salary of a Food Server ranges between $18,030 and $35,150.
Food Servers who work in Hawaii, New York, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Food Servers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $21,550 |
| Alaska | $29,780 |
| Arizona | $27,320 |
| Arkansas | $20,560 |
| California | $30,350 |
| Colorado | $26,730 |
| Connecticut | $28,690 |
| Delaware | $24,700 |
| District of Columbia | $32,740 |
| Florida | $22,570 |
| Georgia | $22,020 |
| Hawaii | $38,480 |
| Idaho | $23,740 |
| Illinois | $24,450 |
| Indiana | $23,050 |
| Iowa | $23,870 |
| Kansas | $20,390 |
| Kentucky | $22,370 |
| Louisiana | $20,860 |
| Maine | $24,230 |
| Maryland | $24,730 |
| Massachusetts | $29,210 |
| Michigan | $25,220 |
| Minnesota | $27,660 |
| Mississippi | $19,330 |
| Missouri | $22,120 |
| Montana | $22,340 |
| Nebraska | $23,330 |
| Nevada | $25,570 |
| New Hampshire | $23,530 |
| New Jersey | $25,190 |
| New Mexico | $20,530 |
| New York | $32,500 |
| North Carolina | $21,180 |
| North Dakota | $27,500 |
| Ohio | $22,370 |
| Oklahoma | $21,450 |
| Oregon | $27,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $23,250 |
| Rhode Island | $25,880 |
| South Carolina | $21,750 |
| South Dakota | $26,930 |
| Tennessee | $21,830 |
| Texas | $21,170 |
| Utah | $24,950 |
| Vermont | $30,970 |
| Virginia | $22,210 |
| Washington | $27,040 |
| West Virginia | $22,190 |
| Wisconsin | $22,160 |
| Wyoming | $22,410 |
What Tools do Food Servers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Food Servers:
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Windows
- Point of sale POS software
- CBORD Nutrition Service Suite
How do I Become a Food Server?
What education is needed to be a Food Server?
What work experience do I need to become a Food Server?
Food Servers Sector
The table below shows the approximate number of Food Servers employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Food Server in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.