Waiters and Waitresses: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more - RaiseMe (2024)

FAQs

What is the job outlook for a waiter and waitress? ›

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -3.1% employment growth for waiters and waitresses between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 68,600 jobs will be lost. Waiters and waitresses perform tasks essential to keeping restaurant patrons happy from the moment they walk in the door to their very last bite.

Career path and progression

With experience you could: specialise in fine dining at formal events like wedding and banquets. progress to head waiter, restaurant supervisor or restaurant manager. move into kitchen management or stock purchasing.

The projected restaurant owner job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028. About 32,300 new jobs for restaurant owners are projected over the next decade. Restaurant owner salaries have increased 11% for restaurant owners in the last 5 years. There are over 24,107 restaurant owners currently employed in the United States.

Servers earn between $20,000 and $31,000 annually, on average. Depending on the area where they work and the kind of restaurant, some servers earn well above those averages.

Fortunately, a career working as a server provides multiple skills that can apply to other positions in different industries. If you work as a server and are looking to change careers, it may be beneficial to learn about other careers where your skills and experience are relevant.

Serving food is an excellent job for people who love meeting others, need flexible hours, or simply want some extra cash. Learn what it takes to become a server, even with no experience. Serving and waiting on tables can be a lucrative role, especially for those just starting out in the workforce.

But a new study has found that being a waiter or waitress may be even more stressful than we realized — more so even than being a neurosurgeon (or really any kind of doctor) or a stockbroker, not to mention a teacher, a scientist, an architect, a janitor, a miner or a manual laborer.

An individual waiting tables (or waiting on or waiting at tables) or waitering or waitressing is commonly called a waiter, server, front server, waitress, member of the wait staff, waitstaff, serving staff server, waitperson, or waitron.

Many restaurants promote within and servers that make the 6 figure a year income seldom leave. My advice would be to start as a busser and work your way up.

How much are waiters paid in America? ›

As of Apr 13, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Waiter in the United States is $15.80 an hour.

Tipped employees must receive a minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, known as a cash wage. That cash wage is combined with tips to reach the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. (Many states and localities, listed below, have minimum wages set above the federal rate).

If we stick with that $2 million number, that restaurant owner making $200,000 on every $1 million, in five years would make $2 million. Plus add the equity from paying down the loans each one of those years, you can quickly see that, yes, you can get rich in the restaurant business.

A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.

Employment of chefs and head cooks is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 22,000 openings for chefs and head cooks are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Overall employment of food and beverage serving and related workers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 1,026,200 openings for food and beverage serving and related workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Waiting staff (BrE), waiters ( MASC ) / waitresses ( FEM ), or servers (AmE) are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending to customers by supplying them with food and drink as requested.

Demand for Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants is expected to go up, with an expected 1,058,480 new jobs filled by 2029. This represents an annual increase of 3.41 percent over the next few years.

How Much Do Waitress Jobs Pay per Year? $24,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $35,000 is the 75th percentile.