How to become a Waiter and Waitresses
Official title: Waiters and Waitresses
Also called: Banquet Server, Busser, Cocktail Server, Food Runner, Food Server, Restaurant Server, Room Service Server, Server, Waiter, Waitress
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
Main tasks
- Collect payments from customers.
- Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
- Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
How to become one
Waiters and waitresses typically do not need formal education to enter the occupation. They are typically trained on the job.
Typical education to start: No formal educational credential
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Waiter.
- Licence: A licence is required in 8 states.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $35,230 a year The middle half earn $27,750 to $47,110.
- About 2,284,400 people work in this job now, and about 2,330,900 are projected by 2035. (+2%)
- People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Waiter and Waitresses?
Waiters and waitresses typically do not need formal education to enter the occupation. They are typically trained on the job.
How much does a Waiter and Waitresses earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $35,230 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $27,750 to $47,110.
Is a Waiter and Waitresses a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 2,284,400 people now and 2,330,900 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Waiter and Waitresses?
Usually not. Only 18% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Waiter.
Will AI change the work of a Waiter and Waitresses?
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.