Hosts and hostesses: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Hosts and hostesses greet customers and manage reservations and waiting lists. They may direct customers to coatrooms, restrooms, or a waiting area until their table is ready. Hosts and hostesses provide menus after seating guests.
- Education Required
- There are no formal education requirements for becoming a food and beverage serving worker.
- Training Required
- Most workers learn through on-the-job training, usually lasting several weeks. Training includes basic customer service, kitchen safety, safe food-handling procedures, and good sanitation habits.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 14% (Faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Advancement opportunities are limited to those who remain on the job for a long time. However, some dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers may advance to waiter, waitress, or bartender positions as they learn the basics of serving food or preparing drinks.
- Median pay: How much do Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers make?
- $19,630 Annual Salary
- $9.44 per hour
Careers for Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers
- Banquet set up persons
- Bar hostesses
- Bar hosts and hostesses
- Barbacks
- Baristas
- Boat hops
- Buffet attendants
- Bus persons
- Bussers
- Cafeteria servers
- Caf servers
- Carhops
- Combined food preparation and serving workers
- Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
- Concession stand attendants
- Counter attendants
- Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Dining room hostesses
- Dining room hosts
- Dining room hosts and hostesses
- Fast food workers
- Food counter workers
- Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Food service workers
- Hospital food service workers
- Hostesses
- Hosts
- Hot dog vendors
- Ice cream servers
- Kitchen stewards
- Lunchroom attendants
- Maitre d's
- Mess attendants
- Room service food servers
- Snack bar attendants
- Tearoom hostesses
- Tearoom hosts
- Tearoom hosts and hostesses