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What is a Waiter or Waitress?
Job Description & Duties Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
A Day in the Life of a Waiter or Waitress
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- Assist host or hostess by answering phones to take reservations or to-go orders, and by greeting, seating, and thanking guests.
- Prepare hot, cold, and mixed drinks for patrons, and chill bottles of wine.
- Inform customers of daily specials.
- Perform food preparation duties such as preparing salads, appetizers, and cold dishes, portioning desserts, and brewing coffee.
- Fill salt, pepper, sugar, cream, condiment, and napkin containers.
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Waiter or Waitress Required Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Waiters and Waitresses say are important on the job.
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.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Server
- Formal Waiter/Waitress
- Carhop
- Dining Car Waiter/Waitress
- Buffet Server
Job Outlook for Waiters and Waitresses
In the United States, there were 2,600,500 jobs for Waiter or Waitress in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 182,500 new jobs for Waiter or Waitress by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 522,700 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Waiter or Waitress are Utah, Washington, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, West Virginia, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Waiters and Waitresses Make A Lot Of Money?
Waiters and Waitresses make between $17,330 and $40,780 a year.
Waiters and Waitresses who work in Hawaii, Vermont, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Waiters and Waitresses make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $19,750 |
Alaska | $25,610 |
Arizona | $30,220 |
Arkansas | $20,040 |
California | $30,250 |
Colorado | $25,510 |
Connecticut | $26,350 |
Delaware | $23,690 |
District of Columbia | $48,120 |
Florida | $26,120 |
Georgia | $20,280 |
Hawaii | $52,110 |
Idaho | $20,780 |
Illinois | $22,900 |
Indiana | $22,300 |
Iowa | $21,850 |
Kansas | $20,140 |
Kentucky | $19,450 |
Louisiana | $18,630 |
Maine | $27,550 |
Maryland | $24,160 |
Massachusetts | $31,920 |
Michigan | $23,920 |
Minnesota | $25,540 |
Mississippi | $20,560 |
Missouri | $21,420 |
Montana | $20,990 |
Nebraska | $25,610 |
Nevada | $24,980 |
New Hampshire | $24,850 |
New Jersey | $27,530 |
New Mexico | $20,770 |
New York | $34,460 |
North Carolina | $22,400 |
North Dakota | $21,140 |
Ohio | $22,650 |
Oklahoma | $20,060 |
Oregon | $28,640 |
Pennsylvania | $24,850 |
Rhode Island | $27,380 |
South Carolina | $20,290 |
South Dakota | $21,930 |
Tennessee | $19,870 |
Texas | $23,520 |
Utah | $24,000 |
Vermont | $34,560 |
Virginia | $24,070 |
Washington | $35,930 |
West Virginia | $23,140 |
Wisconsin | $23,330 |
Wyoming | $23,670 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Waiters and Waitresses
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Waiters and Waitresses may use on a daily basis:
- Point of sale POS software
- The General Store
- Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale
- NCR NeighborhoodPOS
- MICROS Systems HSI Profits Series
- NCR Advanced Checkout Solution
- Compris software
- Compris Advanced Manager’s Workstation
- Hospitality Control Solutions Aloha Point-of-Sale
How to Become a Waiter or Waitress
Learn what Waiter or Waitress education requirements there are.
What work experience do I need to become a Waiter or Waitress?
Where Waiters and Waitresses Are Employed
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Waiter or Waitress might also be interested in the following careers:
Are you already one of the many Waiter or Waitress in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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