How to hire waiters and waitresses
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages. • Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems. • Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining. • Collect payments from customers. • Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes. • Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning. • Take orders from patrons for food or beverages. • Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening, speaking and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $16.94 an hour ($35,230 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for waiters and waitresses
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to collect payments from customers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What waiters and waitresses do
- Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
- Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
- Collect payments from customers.
- Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for waiters and waitresses
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 423,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay waiters and waitresses
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $62,390 |
| Vermont | $59,140 |
| Washington | $56,130 |
| Oregon | $48,410 |
| District of Columbia | $47,850 |
| South Carolina | $18,370 |
| Oklahoma | $17,910 |
| Louisiana | $15,080 |
See waiters and waitresses pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- 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
- Food Preparation Workers
- Food Service Managers
- Cooks, Short Order
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
- Cooks, Private Household
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.