Waiters and Waitresses

Career Overview

Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.

Education

Most waiters and waitresses learn on the job. No formal education is required.

Future Outlook

Employment of waiters and waitresses is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations. As the population grows and more people dine out, many new restaurants are expected to open. Many establishments, particularly full-service restaurants, will continue to use waiters and waitresses to serve food and beverages and provide customer service.

Work Environment

Waiters and waitresses work in restaurants, bars, hotels, and other food-serving and drinking establishments. Work schedules include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Many work part time. During busy hours, they may be under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently.

Recommended High School Courses

Psychology
Math
Communication
Culinary courses

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.
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.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

Take customer orders.
Communicate with customers to resolve complaints or ensure satisfaction.
Enforce rules or regulations.
Process customer bills or payments.
Communicate dining or order details to kitchen personnel.
Present food or beverage information or menus to customers.
Collect dirty dishes or other tableware.
Serve food or beverages.
Cook foods.
Arrange tables or dining areas.
Clean food service areas.
Assist customers with seating arrangements.
Schedule dining reservations.
Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
Prepare hot or cold beverages.
Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies.
Prepare foods for cooking or serving.
Add garnishes to food.
Provide customers with general information or assistance.

Schools

Potential Scholarships

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:

Low End:

$16,740.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$22,000.00 /yr

High End:

$41,300.00 /yr

Related Careers

Information Clerks

Brewmaster

Bakers

Restaurant Manager

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.