Restaurant Server Salary in US 2024

In the food service industry, servers play a crucial role, and many restaurants provide both full- and part-time opportunities. You might be able to evaluate if this is the ideal job for you by evaluating the restaurant server salary in US, requirements, and responsibilities of the position.

In this post, we go through the duties and qualifications of a server, server salary with tips, and outline the steps to landing a job as one.

How much do restaurant servers make per hour? How much do waiters actually make? what is the hourly wage for restaurant servers? These and many more are among the questions a good number of employees want to know their answers to before applying for restaurant server jobs in the US.

What does a server do?

In a full-service restaurant, a server often welcomes customers, takes and serves food and drink orders, accepts payments, and makes change. They are able to collaborate well with clients and employees to deliver fast, correct service to visitors throughout their stay. They frequently do their duties in hectic settings while managing the duties of several tables in a region during their shifts. A server’s typical tasks include:

  • greeting visitors as they enter, then setting up and filling tables
  • taking precise orders for food and drink from clients
  • recording orders and delivering order slips to the kitchen for the preparation of meals
  • interacting socially and amiably with consumers
  • understanding the basics of the menu items.
  • making suggestions to clients
  • making sure they have happy consumers
  • assuming initiative and responsibility to address customer issues throughout their visit
  • Taking payments and, if necessary, appropriately separating tables into various billing parties

How to get a server job

There are several procedures to follow in order to obtain employment as a waiter even though there is no formal schooling needed. To increase your chances of landing the job, you might need to study a few prerequisites, abilities, and safety measures. You can become ready for a job as a waiter in the restaurant business by taking the following actions:

1. Obtain a diploma from high school

To work as a server, no education is required. However, some restaurants demand that candidates hold a high school diploma or equivalent before seeking to work as servers. If you don’t have a high school diploma, you might want to find out which local eateries don’t need their servers to have one. Restaurant server salary in US for diploma holders is usually higher than those with no diploma.

2. Arrange restaurant visits trips

Consider going to the restaurants you have in mind before you get ready to apply for a position as a server. Make careful to check out several eateries in case your top choice isn’t accessible. Despite its expansion, the food business faces competition. Determine your desired travel distance and how it will work with your current schedule.

After choosing your options, go to each restaurant separately to sample the various operating hours. Take note of the ambiance, how others behave toward the servers, how the manager handles the servers, and how your server handles you. During your trips, think about the following inquiries to help you choose the ideal restaurant:

Ask the waiters you chat with for their phone number or email if they are open to it so you can talk to them more about the restaurant you want to work at. To make sure you respect their privacy, you might want to ask straightforward questions that are simple to respond to.

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Remember that they will be your coworkers if you get recruited as a waitress at the restaurant you are talking about. It’s time to start your application after deciding which restaurants to submit a request to.

3. Build a resume

Your CV is one of the main elements that determine if you can acquire a job as a server without any prior serving experience. It may be crucial to highlight any prior experience you have in various entry-level industries on your resume and in the manager interview.

Your interests and any academic achievements you may have made can help you stand out from other candidates for serving opportunities. Any type of college degree or college course history can also assist you to increase your chances of getting employed for a serving career, while neither is necessary. You can add the following examples of abilities on your resume:

Consumer services

You can use any position in customer service throughout the application process for a serving role. Employers prefer servers who are proactive, friendly, and truly interested in their client’s satisfaction. Mentioning previous work in customer service on a resume and in interviews is a terrific idea. A social job helps you strengthen your resume for becoming a server, whether it was as a shop assistant, cashier, or in any type of receptionist desk position.

Related hobbies or interests

It’s not required for resumes to only include summaries relating to jobs. List any pastimes you feel are relevant to this role in brief. Being a leader at any high school or college social events or having a hobby in cooking or baking are examples of these experiences.

Previous education

It’s crucial to emphasize any coursework you’ve done that relates to serving responsibilities both on your resume and in the interview. Even if students aren’t seeking a complete degree, community institutions offer culinary classes or courses in food preparation. If you enroll in those courses or ones that are comparable, you might be qualified to apply for a server position in upscale or fine dining establishments.

4. Apply for the server position

You might want to think about things like your appearance, the time of day, and the restaurant’s current staffing situation before scheduling your interview. You can do the following to give yourself the best opportunity when requesting an interview with the restaurant manager and applying for the position:

Dress formally.

Make sure your attire is interview-appropriate, spotless, and clean. First impressions are important in this case, just as they are in the majority of interviews. For instance, you might dress more formally if you’re interviewing for a job at a fine dining establishment.

Apply at the proper time.

Consider submitting an application right before a busy time of year, like the final months of spring or a holiday. The restaurant might be more receptive to employing more servers before the seasons change.

Arrive on time.

When the day is less busy, speak with the manager. If you frequently visited the restaurant before applying, you should have no trouble remembering or scheduling this time. Before your scheduled interview, consider frequenting the restaurant so that the employees will become accustomed to your face and name.

5. Practice basic server skills at home to prepare for training

No matter how your interview went at the first restaurant you considered, honing your fundamental serving techniques will benefit you in the long run.

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Even if you don’t get your first choice, applying for additional positions while honing these server abilities at home will shorten your training period and make it easier to start working as soon as you do get hired:

  • Plates of food and beverages on a serving tray.
  • Practice using a wine key to open a bottle of wine.
  • Hone your basic math abilities

Tips for interviewing for a server job in 2024

No matter how your interview went at the first restaurant you considered, honing your fundamental serving techniques will benefit you in the long run. Even if you don’t get your first choice, applying for additional positions while honing these server abilities at home will shorten your training period and make it easier to start working as soon as you do get hired:

  • plates of food and beverages on a serving tray.
  • Practice using a wine key to open a bottle of wine.
  • hone your basic math abilities

Tips to becoming a good Restaurant Server

One major determinant of restaurant server salary in the US is the skills displayed. Restaurant owners will be willing to pay for your services if you prove to be an asset. If you are well grounded in the skills needed to be of sound professional service, you can negotiate an improved salary in US for waiter jobs.

Below are some skills that can distinguish you while working as a server.

  • Stay upbeat.
  • Smile!
  • Offer suggestions.
  • Recall faces.
  • Pick up several drink orders at once from the bar.
  • Dispute multiple checks at once.
  • jot down names.
  • Serve at the speed of the clientele.
  • Recognize the high-profile individuals.
  • Always pay attention.
  • Say hello to everyone that comes into the restaurant.
  • Avoid breaking up conversations.
  • Wine glasses should be held by their stems.
  • Never say “I don’t know,” always say “let me investigate.”
  • Never take away a plate of food without first asking what went wrong with the order; something definitely wasn’t right.
  • Never use foul language around guests.
  • Service should remain constant throughout the dinner.
  • Don’t let customers inadvertently place two or more orders. Where you can, give them guidance.
  • Don’t disregard a table just because it’s not yours.
  • Place settings that aren’t in use shouldn’t be left out.
  • In order to prevent customers from reading an item on the menu and wanting to place an order out of disappointment, try to let customers know as soon as possible if the restaurant is out of it.
  • The same is true for bar stock.
  • Don’t be offended if a customer requests to talk with the management.
  • Before the dinner rush, become familiar with using restaurant technology, such as the restaurant POS.
  • Always choose a safe location for the check.

Restaurant Server Salary in US

We have seen the step-by-step process of becoming a server in the US, but how much does a waitress make in US? Does waiter’s salary in America per month reflect the energy they put into work? All these and many more are what either encourage or discourage one from taking up a waiter’s job in the US.

The average annual wage for restaurant servers in the United States is $24,558. The top 10% of earners earn over $37,000 annually, while the bottom 10% earn less than $15,000. If you are wondering how much restaurant servers make per hour? from the estimate above, they make $12 per hour.

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Best States to Work as Restaurant Server in US

When it comes to beginning a career as a restaurant server, certain locales pay better restaurant server salary in US than others. For those in this position, California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Vermont are the finest states to live in. In California, restaurant waiters earn an average pay of $32,428.

Servers would be on an average of $30,709 and $30,647 in Massachusetts and Washington, respectively. Although the average salary for restaurant servers in Vermont is only $29,148, this is still more than the national average. These are the states we found to have the most jobs and the highest salaries. We reduced our list of states to these four by determining the median wage, the cost of living, and the Location Quotient from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Location and type of restaurant are major determinants in the salary of a waiter in US. Those in the urban and busy cities tend to make more restaurant server salary in US than others in less populated areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do restaurant waitresses make

 the average restaurant Server salary in the United States was $19,810; however, the normal income range is between $17,041 and $22,724. Salary ranges can vary significantly depending on a variety of crucial aspects, including schooling, credentials, supplementary talents, and the length of time you’ve been working in a given field.

What is good pay for a server?

In the US, servers typically make $29,901 a year, or $14.38 an hour. The bottom 10% of servers, who make up that range, make about $21,000 a year, while the top 10% make $42,000.

What qualifies you to be a server?

experience in delivering first-rate customer service in a hectic setting. an upbeat outlook and the capacity to perform well under pressure when working with waiters, cooks, and other personnel. able to work independently and provide high-quality results. able to use a point-of-sale system and manage money appropriately.

Does being a server pay well?

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a waiter or waitress’s typical annual salary in 2021 was $29,010. This amounts to an hourly rate of, on average, $13.95 The precise figures, however, differ significantly based on the employee’s level of expertise.

Conclusion

Particularly for people who are just entering the industry, serving and waiting tables can be rewarding jobs. When you are eager to learn and advance in the food service sector, it can be even more rewarding.

The United States presents a perfect place to start up your career as a restaurant server. Due to the rich lifestyle and population in the country, restaurant server salary in US has continued to be on the rise as the job keeps growing.

Lastly, ensure you visit the Moden News homepage and also check out our Salary category, for more essential salary information.

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