Occupations · Food Preparation and Serving
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 35-9031.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 98% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $36,780 | 15,840 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,130 | 15,360 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $27,670 | 12,060 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $30,270 | 11,970 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $29,060 | 10,600 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $31,360 | 9,960 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $31,470 | 8,760 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $27,440 | 8,680 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $34,800 | 8,590 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $35,850 | 8,500 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $35,370 | 8,350 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $29,120 | 6,650 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Provide guests with menus.
- Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
- Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
- Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
- Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.
- Operate cash registers to accept payments for food and beverages.
- Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.
- Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service.
- Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.
- Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables.
- Inspect restrooms for cleanliness and availability of supplies, and clean restrooms when necessary.
- Direct patrons to coatrooms and waiting areas, such as lounges.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables.
O*NET 22.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 5
No longer listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| doorman/doorwoman | 9621.1 | close |
| hospitality establishment receptionist | 4224.1 | close |
| restaurant host/restaurant hostess | 5131.1 | broader |
| club host/club hostess | 5169.1 | broader |
| usher | 9629.7 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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