Waiters and Waitresses
Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.
Is waiters and waitresses a good career?
It scores 44/100 and ranks #50 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- High volume of openings — about 456,700 a year
- No college degree typically required to enter
Possible tradeoffs
- Pays below the U.S. median wage ($35,230 vs $61,390)
- Employment is projected to decline (-0.7% through 2034)
What waiters and waitresses earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. waiters and waitresses earn between $27,750 and $47,110 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live waiters and waitresses jobs
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- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow decline through 2034.
Education
Typically, no formal education is required to become a waiter or waitress. However, some employers require or prefer that workers have a high school diploma.
Training
Waiters and waitresses typically learn through short-term on-the-job-training, usually lasting from several days to a few weeks. Trainees typically work with an experienced waiter or waitress, who teaches them basic serving techniques.
On-the-job training helps new workers learn serving techniques and use of the restaurant’s order-placement, payment, and other systems. Training also prepares waiters and waitresses to properly handle difficult situations and unpleasant or unruly customers.
Training for waiters and waitresses in establishments that serve alcohol typically involves learning state and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some states, counties, and cities mandate the training, which typically lasts a few hours and may be offered online or in-house.
Some states require that servers take training related to the safe handling of food.
Advancement
Waiters and waitresses who have experience may advance to work in fine-dining restaurants. Advancement may offer improved conditions, such as preferred schedules or higher tips.
Important qualities
Communication skills. Waiters and waitresses must listen to customers, ask questions as needed, and relay information to the kitchen staff so that orders are prepared to the customers’ satisfaction.
Customer-service skills. Waiters and waitresses are frontline workers for their restaurant. They should be friendly and polite and be able to develop a rapport with customers.
Detail oriented. Waiters and waitresses must record customers’ orders accurately. They should be able to recall the details of each order and match the food or drink orders to the correct customers.
Physical stamina. Waiters and waitresses spend most of their work hours standing or walking and carrying trays, dishes, and drinks.
Physical strength. Waiters and waitresses need to be able to lift and carry trays of food or other items.
Related occupations
How much do waiters and waitresses make?
The national median wage is $35,230 a year, with the middle half earning between $27,750 and $47,110 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is waiters and waitresses a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 44 of 100 and ranks #50 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change -0.7% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a waiters and waitresse?
The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.
Where do waiters and waitresses earn the most?
Among states, Hawaii pays the highest median ($62,390). Local pay for every state and metro is below.