Food and beverage serving and related workers take and prepare orders, clear tables, and do other tasks associated with providing food and drink to customers.
Food and beverage serving and related workers typically do the following:
Food and beverage serving and related workers are the front line of customer service in restaurants, cafeterias, and other food service establishments. They seat customers, take or prepare food and drink orders, clear and set tables, and serve food and beverages. Depending on the establishment, they may do some or all of these tasks during their shift.
Most work as part of a team, although their responsibilities and job titles vary.
The following are examples of types of food and beverage serving and related workers:
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers—sometimes collectively referred to as bus staff—help waiters, waitresses, and bartenders by cleaning and setting tables, removing dirty dishes, and stocking serving areas with supplies. They also may help waiters and waitresses by bringing meals from the kitchen, distributing dishes to diners, filling water glasses, and delivering condiments.
Fast food and counter workers are employed primarily by limited-service restaurants, cafeterias, and snack bars at which customers generally order and pay before eating. These workers take food and beverage orders, prepare or retrieve items, and accept payment. They also heat food items and make salads and sandwiches.
Hosts and hostesses greet customers, seat guests, and manage reservations and waiting lists. They also may provide menus, take and prepare to-go orders, and assist with maintaining cleanliness of the dining area.
Nonrestaurant food servers provide food to customers outside a restaurant environment. For example, they may deliver room-service orders in hotels or meals to hospital rooms. Some work as carhops at venues such as drive-in movie theaters, bringing orders to customers in parked cars.
Food and beverage serving and related workers held about 4.1 million jobs in 2021. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up food and beverage serving and related workers was distributed as follows:
| Fast food and counter workers | 3,195,600 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | 355,200 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop | 347,700 |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant | 247,500 |
The largest employers of food and beverage serving and related workers were as follows:
| Restaurants and other eating places | 77% |
| Retail trade | 5 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 5 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 3 |
| Special food services | 3 |
Food and beverage serving and related workers spend most of their shift on their feet. They carry trays of food, dishes, or glassware, which are often heavy. During busy dining periods, they are under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently.
Food preparation and serving areas in restaurants often have potential safety hazards, such as hot ovens and slippery floors. Common injuries include slips, cuts, and burns. To reduce these risks, workers may wear gloves, aprons, or nonslip shoes.
Part-time work is common for food and beverage serving and related workers. Because restaurants and other eating places typically have extended dining hours, work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Work may be seasonal. Food and beverage serving and related workers may not work or may have limited hours during certain times of the year. For example, those in school cafeterias may work only during the school year, usually 9 to 10 months.
In addition, business hours in restaurants allow for flexible schedules that appeal to teenagers. Food and beverage serving and related workers employs more 16- to 19-year-olds than any other occupation.
Food and beverage serving and related workers typically have no requirements for education to enter the occupation. They receive short-term on-the-job training.
Most states require workers who serve alcoholic beverages, even as an accompaniment to meals, to be at least 18 years old.
There typically are no formal education requirements for becoming a food and beverage serving worker.
Workers typically learn through on-the-job training, which may last from few days to several weeks. Training includes basic customer service, kitchen safety, safe food-handling procedures, and sanitation guidelines.
Food and beverage serving and related workers typically learn their duties by watching and working with experienced staff. Some employers, particularly those in fast-food restaurants, have specific training programs for new workers.
Bartender helpers and other workers in establishments where alcohol is served may need training on state and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some states, counties, and cities mandate such training, which typically lasts a few hours.
Some food and beverage serving and related workers advance to waiter, waitress, or bartender positions as they learn the basics of serving food or preparing drinks. Kitchen staff may advance to become food preparation workers or cooks. Still others may move up to supervisory or food service manager positions.
Communication skills. Food and beverage serving and related workers must listen to customers’ orders and relay them correctly to the kitchen staff so that the orders are prepared as requested.
Customer-service skills. Food service establishments rely on good food and customer service to keep customers and succeed in a competitive industry. As a result, workers should be courteous and be able to attend to customers’ requests.
Physical stamina. Food and beverage serving and related workers spend most of their shift doing physical tasks such as standing, carrying trays, and cleaning work areas.
Physical strength. Food and beverage serving and related workers need to be able to lift and carry stock and equipment that can weigh up to 50 pounds.
Median hourly wages, May 2021
The median hourly wage for food and beverage serving and related workers was $12.49 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.80, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $16.40.
Median hourly wages for food and beverage serving and related workers in May 2021 were as follows:
| Food servers, nonrestaurant | $13.81 |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | 13.06 |
| Fast food and counter workers | 12.07 |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop | 11.83 |
In May 2021, the median hourly wages for food and beverage serving and related workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Healthcare and social assistance | $14.05 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 14.00 |
| Retail trade | 13.94 |
| Special food services | 13.56 |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 11.61 |
Although some workers in these occupations earn tips, most get their earnings from hourly wages alone.
In some restaurants, workers may contribute all or a portion of their tips to a tip pool, which is distributed among qualifying workers. Tip pools allow workers who do not usually receive tips directly from customers, such as dining room attendants, to be part of a team and to share in the rewards for good service.
Employers may provide meals and uniforms but may deduct those costs from the worker’s wages.
Part-time work is common for food and beverage serving and related workers. Because restaurants and other eating places typically have extended dining hours, work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Work may be seasonal. Food and beverage serving and related workers may not work or may have limited hours during certain times of the year. For example, those in school cafeterias may work only during the school year, usually 9 to 10 months.
In addition, business hours in restaurants allow for flexible schedules that appeal to teenagers. Food and beverage serving and related workers employs more 16- to 19-year-olds than any other occupation.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Overall employment of food and beverage serving and related workers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 955,100 openings for food and beverage serving and related workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Much of the projected employment growth in these occupations is due to recovery from the COVID-19 recession of 2020. Projected employment of food and beverage serving and related workers varies by occupation (see table).
As a growing population continues to dine out, purchase take-out meals, or have food delivered, more restaurants, particularly fast-food and casual dining restaurants, are expected to open. In response, more food and beverage serving and related workers are expected to be needed.
In addition, nontraditional food service operations, such as those inside grocery stores and cafeterias in hospitals and residential care facilities, are expected to serve more prepared meals. Because these workers are essential to the operation of a food-serving establishment, they should continue to be in demand.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
|||||||
Food and beverage serving and related workers |
— | 4,146,000 | 4,518,900 | 9 | 372,900 | — | |
Fast food and counter workers |
35-3023 | 3,195,600 | 3,438,800 | 8 | 243,200 | Get data | |
Food servers, nonrestaurant |
35-3041 | 247,500 | 264,800 | 7 | 17,300 | Get data | |
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers |
35-9011 | 355,200 | 415,100 | 17 | 59,900 | Get data | |
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
35-9031 | 347,700 | 400,300 | 15 | 52,600 | Get data | |
For more information on food and beverage serving careers, visit
National Restaurant Association