Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Waiters and Waitresses is licensed or registered in 9 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 2 professional certifications to Waiters and Waitresses. 2 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Restaurant Server, ServSafe Alcohol. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 6.0 hours and sit about 0.2 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 20.0 pounds. For 78.3% of workers the job requires light strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (over 99.5%), have a consistently fast work pace (29.1%), cannot pause their work (75.1%), and are exposed to the outdoors (28.0%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round waiters and waitresses ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $32,500 with a high school diploma or GED, $36,500 with some college or an associate's degree, $40,600 with a bachelor's degree and $42,600 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of waiters and waitresses work in Accommodation and Food Services (96%), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (2%), Health Care and Social Assistance (1%) and Retail Trade (0%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most waiters and waitresses are Restaurants and Other Eating Places (81% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,090), Traveler Accommodation (6% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,510), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,150), Special Food Services (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $38,340) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Special Food Services ($38,340), Traveler Accommodation ($35,510), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries ($35,150). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among waiters and waitresses with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Psychology (7%), Business Management and Administration (6%), General Business (5%) and Hospitality Management (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For waiters and waitresses, employers reported 46.6 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Food preparation and serving related", which includes this career, 3.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $757 for union members and $699 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to waiters and waitresses.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Service", which includes this career, 52% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 51% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 70% had paid sick leave, 60% paid vacation and 59% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to waiters and waitresses, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $27.17 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Service" in June 2026 ($19.59 in wages and salaries and $7.58 in benefits, 27.9% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for waiters and waitresses are: contact with others (96%), spend time standing (89%), spend time walking or running (88%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (84%), indoors, environmentally controlled (83%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (77%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (56% of 35 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (63% of 36 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (55% of 35 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to waiters and waitresses in the work done and the skills used: Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers, Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, Bartenders, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop, Baristas, Food Preparation Workers, Food Service Managers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what waiters and waitresses earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Waiters and Waitresses salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare waiters and waitresses with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →