Waiters and Waitresses
On the Job
Waiters and Waitresses serve restaurant patrons. They take food and drink orders and make sure diners have what they need to have an enjoyable dining experience.
Physical Demands 
This career requires time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Communicate with customers to resolve complaints or ensure satisfaction.
- Communicate dining or order details to kitchen personnel.
- Add garnishes to food.
- Assist customers with seating arrangements.
- Cook foods.
- Prepare foods for cooking or serving.
- Prepare hot or cold beverages.
- Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies.
- Arrange tables or dining areas.
- Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
Typical Working Conditions
- Frequent contact with others.
- Walking and running.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Working with a group or team.
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people.
- Making decisions that impact co-workers or company results.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
