Food Preparation

Waiters & Waitresses

SOC 35-3031

Take orders, serve food, and keep tables happy, mostly on tips.

Median pay

$35k

$28k to $47k typical range

Outlook

Declining

457k openings / yr

Education

No formal credential

AI exposure

13%

modeled estimate · 83th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

26/100

Key skills

Active Listening
Speaking
Monitoring
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Active Learning

Where this ranks

Take the next step

Learn the skillsCourses for Waiters & Waitresses See open jobsWaiters & Waitresses roles hiring now Real pay & reviewsWhat Waiters & Waitresses actually earn Build a resumeStand out when you apply

Explore Waiters & Waitresses interactively →

Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2024-2034). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How we model AI exposure.