| Waiters and Waitresses | |||||||||||
| Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Waiters and Waitresses | |||||||||||
| Employment | Employment Change | Average Annual Job Openings | Wage & Training Levels | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2025 | Numerical | Percent | New Jobs | Replacement Jobs | Total | Median Hourly | Median Annual | Training Levels | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,099 | 15,264 | 1,165 | 8.27% | 233 | 3,672 | 3,905 | $14.81 | $30,802 | No formal educational credential | ||
| Description: | Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment. | ||||||||||
| Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023) | |||||||||||
Occupation Details
The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.
- Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Collect payments from customers.
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals and take action to correct any problems.
- Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
- Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
- Inform customers of daily specials.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
- Prepare hot, cold, and mixed drinks for patrons, and chill bottles of wine.
- Explain how various menu items are prepared, describing ingredients and cooking methods.
- Prepare tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.
- Perform food preparation duties such as preparing salads, appetizers, and cold dishes, portioning desserts, and brewing coffee.
- Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.
- Garnish and decorate dishes in preparation for serving.
- Fill salt, pepper, sugar, cream, condiment, and napkin containers.
- Escort customers to their tables.
- Describe and recommend wines to customers.
- Bring wine selections to tables with appropriate glasses, and pour the wines for customers.
- Roll silverware, set up food stations or set up dining areas to prepare for the next shift or for large parties.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Assist host or hostess by answering phones to take reservations or to-go orders, and by greeting, seating, and thanking guests.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
Knowledge
| 78% | 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. |
| 57% | Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. |
| 55% | English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| 72% | 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. |
| 69% | Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people. |
| 65% | Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| 65% | Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| 56% | Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| 53% | Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| 50% | Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| 75% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| 75% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| 72% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| 65% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| 60% | 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. |
| 60% | Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath. |
| 60% | 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. |
| 53% | 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. |
| 53% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| 53% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| 53% | Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
| 50% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| 50% | Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted. |
| 50% | Memorization - The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures. |
| 50% | Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. |
| 82% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| 65% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials. |
| 62% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| 61% | Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions. |
| 59% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| 56% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| 55% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| 54% | Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| 53% | Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| 53% | Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| 52% | Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| 50% | Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Title | Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed |
| Overall Experience | Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before. |
| Job Training | Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job. |
| Job Zone Examples | These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include taxi drivers, amusement and recreation attendants, counter and rental clerks, construction laborers, continuous mining machine operators, and waiters/waitresses. |
| Education | Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. |
Interests
| Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others. |
| Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
| Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. |
| Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi |
| Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |