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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower 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 $31,200 Median per year · $15.00/hr Most earn $22,340–$43,990

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Confer with other staff to help plan establishments' menus.
  • Inform patrons of establishment specialties and features.
  • Hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff.
  • Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
  • Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
  • Prepare cash receipts after establishments close, and make bank deposits.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Numerous Job Openings

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 107,100 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

  • Full-service restaurants82.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)2.0%

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

Experience before this job: None

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: NoneEntry-level

Hosting is an entry-level job. Most people need only a high school diploma and no prior work experience, and they learn the job on the floor in less than a month.

  1. High school diploma

    About 4 years

    Finishing high school gives you the basic education most restaurants ask for. Good communication, math for handling reservations and seating counts, and customer service skills all help here.

  2. Host or Hostess (Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop)

    Less than 1 month of on-the-job training

    You greet guests, manage the wait list, seat people, and check that the dining area looks and runs well. Most of your training happens during your first shifts working beside experienced staff.

Where it can lead

  1. Dining Room Supervisor

    1-3 years as a host or hostess of experience first

    You oversee the host stand and often the servers on a shift, which means scheduling, training newer staff, and solving guest problems. Strong leadership and a calm attitude under pressure help you move up.

  2. Front-of-House Manager

    3-5 years in restaurant front-of-house work of experience first

    You manage the whole dining room, including staffing, service quality, reservations, and guest complaints. Moving up usually means showing you can keep both guests and staff happy while keeping the business running well.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and English classes seriouslyStrong math helps with counting guests, managing waitlists, and handling payments, while clear writing and speaking help you communicate with guests.
  • Get a starter job in food service or retailWorking as a dishwasher, busser, or cashier at a local restaurant or store teaches you the pace of a service job and how to work with a team.
  • Join a school club that involves public speaking or eventsClubs like drama, debate, student government, or the yearbook team help you get comfortable talking with people you don't know.
  • Volunteer as a greeter or usherHelping at school events, church functions, or community events gives you practice welcoming people and guiding them where they need to go.

In college

  • Take courses in hospitality, business, or customer serviceClasses in hospitality management or customer service teach you how restaurants run and how to keep guests satisfied, which helps if you later want to supervise.
  • Work a part-time host, server, or front-desk jobA campus or local job at a restaurant, cafe, or hotel gives you hands-on experience and a reference for future jobs.
  • Join a student organization focused on leadership or eventsLeading a student group or planning events builds the organizing and teamwork skills supervisors look for.
  • Ask about food safety or customer service certificatesMany local health departments and employers offer short food safety or customer service training that makes your resume stronger.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for hosting or front-desk work at a restaurant, coffee shop, or hotel. Many places hire people your age, and the experience shows employers you can handle guests.
  • Practice being friendly and calm when things get busy. Hosts are often the first and last face a guest sees, so people skills matter as much as anything you learn in class.
  • Ask a manager or experienced host what they look for in good staff. Their advice can help you get hired and grow faster.

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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