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Waiter or Waitress

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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.

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.

  • 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.

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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.

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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:

  • Facebook
  • 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.

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What work experience do I need to become a Waiter or Waitress?

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Where Waiters and Waitresses Are Employed

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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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:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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