Food and Beverage Serving or Related Worker

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.

Duties

Food and beverage serving and related workers typically do the following:

Greet customers and answer their questions about menu items and specials
Take food and drink orders from customers
Prepare food and drink orders, such as sandwiches and coffee
Relay customers’ orders to other kitchen staff
Serve food and drinks to customers at a counter, at a stand, or in a hotel room
Accept payment and provide customers with receipts
Clean assigned work areas, such as dining tables or serving counters
Stock service stations, cabinets, and tables
Set tables or prepare food stations for new customers

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.

Work Environment

Food servers bring meals to customers outside a restaurant.

Food and beverage serving and related workers held about 4.5 million jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up food and beverage serving and related workers was distributed as follows:

Fast food and counter workers	3,410,100
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers	459,200
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop	412,800
Food servers, nonrestaurant	258,600

The largest employers of food and beverage serving and related workers were as follows:

Restaurants and other eating places	77%
Retail trade	4
Healthcare and social assistance	4
Special food services	4
Educational services; state, local, and private	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.

Injuries and Illnesses

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.

Work Schedules

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.

Getting Started

How to Become a Food and Beverage Serving or Related Worker

Food and beverage and related workers need customer service skills.

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.

Education

There typically are no formal education requirements for becoming a food and beverage serving worker.

Training

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.

Advancement

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.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of food and beverage serving and related workers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 1,026,200 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.

Employment

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.

Contacts for More Information

For more information on food and beverage serving careers, visit

National Restaurant Association

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of food and beverage serving and related workers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Bartenders	Bartenders mix drinks and serve them directly to customers or through wait staff.	No formal educational credential	$29,380
Cashiers	Cashiers process payments from customers purchasing goods and services.	No formal educational credential	$28,240
Cooks	Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.	See How to Become One	$30,910
Flight Attendants	Flight attendants provide routine services and respond to emergencies to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers.	High school diploma or equivalent	$63,760
Food Preparation Workers	Food preparation workers perform a variety of tasks other than cooking, such as slicing meat and brewing coffee.	No formal educational credential	$29,790
Retail Sales Workers	Retail sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers’ payments.	No formal educational credential	$30,750
Waiters and Waitresses	Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.	No formal educational credential	$29,120