Waiters and waitresses
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment. The role reports a median annual salary of $33,760 in the US. Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.53 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Service Orientation, Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £22,936 a year for Waiters and waitresses (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £18,363 to £27,395 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9264). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Waiters and waitresses, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI Food & Beverages Service Assistant (1 year after Class 10), or a 1.5-year Diploma in Food & Beverage Service at an IHM[1][2]
- 2 · First role Waiter or steward in a hotel, bar or restaurant[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Food & Beverages Service Assistant CTS curriculum (read on 2026-09-27)
- NCHMCT — Diploma in Food & Beverage Service (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Food Production
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- Education and Training
A day in the life
You arrive before the restaurant opens, setting tables, folding napkins and learning about today's specials from the chef. When the first guests arrive, you greet them warmly, show them the menu and answer questions about dishes and ingredients, checking for any allergies. You take orders on a handheld device and send them to the kitchen, then bring out drinks and starters. During the busy lunch rush you juggle several tables at once, refilling water, clearing plates and checking that everyone is enjoying their meal. When a dish arrives cold, you apologise and ask the kitchen to prepare a fresh one. After the rush you prepare bills, collect payments and reset tables. In the afternoon you help restock the service station. The shifts are long and you are on your feet constantly, but leaving guests happy after a good meal makes the work satisfying.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Waiters and waitresses do?
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
What does a typical day look like in Waiters and waitresses?
You arrive before the restaurant opens, setting tables, folding napkins and learning about today's specials from the chef. When the first guests arrive, you greet them warmly, show them the menu and answer questions about dishes and ingredients, checking for any allergies. You take orders on a handheld device and send them to the kitchen, then bring out drinks and starters.
How much does Waiters and waitresses earn?
The median annual salary for Waiters and waitresses in the US is $33,760.
How do I become waiters and waitresses?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Waiters and waitresses need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Service Orientation, Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Monitoring. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Waiters and waitresses?
Our AI-durability model gives Waiters and waitresses a score of 0.53 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Waiters and waitresses has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.