Occupations · Food Preparation and Serving
Waiters and Waitresses
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 35-3031.00
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 139% 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 | $45,010 | 135,820 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $35,060 | 91,020 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $29,120 | 64,010 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $28,590 | 59,730 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $29,510 | 56,790 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $26,830 | 52,610 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $38,440 | 45,170 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $35,900 | 43,170 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $20,270 | 43,170 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $37,650 | 39,140 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37,040 | 38,520 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $30,140 | 36,700 |
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.
- 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.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
- Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
- Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
- Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.
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
- Check with customers to see if they want to apply any rewards to their purchase.
- Perform routine tasks, such as refilling syrups, sanitizer bottles, and other essential supplies.
O*NET 30.3 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 2
No longer listed 2
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 |
|---|---|---|
| waiter/waitress | 5131.2 | exact |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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