How To Become A Caterer/Server: What It Is and Career Path

What is a caterer/server and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a caterer/server. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.22 an hour? That's $33,737 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 197,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCaterer/ServerUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,737

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.2

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%

Asian 8.10%

Black or African American 11.38%

Hispanic or Latino 20.13%

Unknown 5.46%

White 54.17%

Gender

female 63.07%

male 36.93%

Age - 25

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 25

Stress Level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.1

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a caterer/server

Explore caterer/server education requirements

Most common caterer/server degrees

Bachelor's

48.6 %

High School Diploma

21.6 %

Associate

20.0 %

Start to develop specific caterer/server skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	10.94%
Food Service	9.13%
Wine	8.10%
Exceptional Guest	7.22%
Cleanliness	7.03%

Complete relevant caterer/server training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New caterer/servers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a caterer/server based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real caterer/server resumes.

Research caterer/server duties and responsibilities

Experience caterer, providing services from assembling full-service buffets to serving guests at outside catering events and private parties at restaurants.
Handle cash and credit transactions accurately through the provided POS system
Perform accurate POS system transactions for in-seat patrons; beverage and alcohol orders.
Monitor and maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of assign stations and service areas.

Prepare your caterer/server resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your caterer/server resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a caterer/server resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Caterer/Server Resume templates

Build a professional Caterer/Server resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Caterer/Server resume.

Apply for caterer/server jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a caterer/server job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do caterer/servers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Caterer/Server reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

Many restaurants are corporate or franchisees, and they dont really have good management, which leads to not hiring people on skill, but just to fill the space, which leads to high turn over rates for both FOH, BOH and management. There's no stability

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

Most waiter and waitress jobs are entry level, and workers learn through short-term on-the-job training. No formal education or previous work experience is required to enter the occupation. Most states require workers who serve alcoholic beverages to be at least 18 years of age, but some states require servers to be older. Waiters and waitresses who serve alcohol must be familiar with state and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019