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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $35,360 Median per year · $17.00/hr Most earn $28,030–$46,120

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Record amounts and types of special food items served to customers.
  • Determine where patients or patrons would like to eat their meals and help them get situated.
  • Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.
  • Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
  • Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
  • Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 48,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly26.6%
  • Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)20.7%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals15.3%
  • Special food services10.8%
  • Temporary help services2.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: Up to 1 month

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: Up to 1 monthEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people can start as a Food Server, Nonrestaurant with a high school diploma and only a short on-the-job training period, usually up to about a month.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finishing high school gives you the basic education most employers ask for. Good customer service and reliability matter more here than advanced classes.

  2. Food Server, Nonrestaurant

    Up to 1 month of training

    You learn to deliver food to hotel rooms, hospital rooms, care facilities, or cars, following food safety and delivery rules. Most of the learning happens on the job.

Where it can lead

  1. Food Service Manager

    1-2 years of experience first

    You would move from serving food to planning schedules, managing staff, ordering supplies, and keeping service running smoothly. Experience in food service and some leadership or training experience usually come first.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take a family and consumer sciences or food safety classThese classes teach kitchen safety and food handling, which are useful in any food service job.
  • Get a starter job in a restaurant, cafe, or cafeteriaWorking as a dining room attendant or dishwasher builds experience with serving, timing, and teamwork.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, or meal programYou will practice caring for people who may need extra help, which fits well with serving meals outside a restaurant.
  • Practice customer service skillsSpeaking clearly, listening carefully, and staying calm under pressure will help you in any serving role.

In college

  • Take courses in nutrition, food safety, or hospitalityThese classes give you knowledge about handling and delivering food safely, which employers value.
  • Work a part-time job serving food or in hospitalityHotel, banquet, or catering work gives direct experience with room service and off-site food delivery.
  • Earn a food handler or food safety certificateMany local programs offer these, and they show employers you understand safe food practices.
  • Join a hospitality or student leadership clubLeading a team or organizing events builds the management skills needed for a move up to food service supervisor or manager.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for jobs at hotels, hospitals, and care facilities, since they often hire for nonrestaurant food service and may offer training.
  • Practice being friendly and patient with people who may be sick, tired, or unfamiliar with the setting. These people skills are often what employers look for first.
  • Ask about food safety certificates. Many places expect workers to know basic food handling, and having one can help you stand out.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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