Also called: Waiter, Waitress
Takes orders, recommends dishes and drinks, and looks after guests during their meal.
You manage six tables at once, timing courses, upselling wine, and handling a birthday, an allergy, and a complaint in the same hour. At a busy fine-dining restaurant, tips can make this surprisingly well paid. Reading people is your superpower.
Tips make pay very uneven; top fine-dining servers in big cities can earn $70k-$100k+.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No education required; fine dining values experience and wine knowledge.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. QR ordering, tablets and robot runners cut some roles at casual chains; full-service hospitality and tips keep servers.
Age 16+. One way to start: Apply at casual restaurants for server openings; most states need 18 to serve alcohol
Classes: Hospitality CTE class, Spanish, Math.
Official data: O*NET occupation 35-3031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.