Explore by Career/Food Preparation and Serving Related
Waiters and Waitresses
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
- Median pay
- $33,760
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -0.7%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- No formal educational credential
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
What they do
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.