How to hire a Party Host

How to hire a party host, step by step

Here's a step-by-step party host hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a party host job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new party host
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Party Host do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your party host job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a party host for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A party host's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, party hosts from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of party hosts.

   Type Of Party Host	Description	Hourly Rate
   Party Host	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$9-16
   Host/Hostess	In a restaurant setting, a host/hostess serves as the clients' primary point of contact as they enter the premises. They mostly greet and welcome clients, process reservations, and assist by escorting them to their tables, providing them menus, and responding to any inquiries or concerns... Show More	$9-15
   Front Desk Host	The front desk host is responsible for welcoming guests upon arrival. As the host, you will be required to oversee the operation of the front office... Show More	$12-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Kids
   • CPR
   • Team Work
   • Customer Service
   • POS
   • Front Desk
   • Food Orders
   • Clean Environment
   • Ice Cream
   • Food Preparation
   • Party Food
   • Safety Rules
   • Party Guests
   • Party Packages

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage party reservations in efficient manner.
   • Assist in preparing information need for Medicare and Medicaid cost reporting.
   • Oversee new and existing Medicaid enrollment accounts.
   • Paint faces of children and adults perform in costumes at events.
   • Develop and create costumes and makeup sketches for multiple plays and musicals.
   • Generate Medicaid billing and input NYS OASAS reports, maintaining accuracy and compliance.

   More Party Host duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your party host job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A party host can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, party hosts' average salary in florida is 17% less than in vermont.
   • Seniority. Entry-level party hosts 44% less than senior-level party hosts.
   • Certifications. A party host with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a party host's salary.

   Average party host salary

   $12.39hourly

   $25,777 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level party host salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 31, 2025

   Average party host salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	New York	$28,648	$14
   2	Massachusetts	$28,598	$14
   3	Connecticut	$28,152	$14
   4	New Jersey	$26,554	$13
   5	Wisconsin	$26,389	$13
   6	California	$26,147	$13
   7	Illinois	$25,633	$12
   8	Washington	$25,526	$12
   9	Arizona	$25,339	$12
   10	Utah	$25,212	$12
   11	Iowa	$25,134	$12
   12	Colorado	$24,773	$12
   13	Virginia	$24,693	$12
   14	Oklahoma	$24,374	$12
   15	Texas	$24,300	$12
   16	North Carolina	$24,285	$12
   17	Tennessee	$24,210	$12
   18	Alabama	$24,138	$12
   19	Georgia	$24,077	$12
   20	Florida	$23,798	$11

   Average party host salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Active Wellness	$35,528	$17.08
   2	FAT CATS CAFE	$30,631	$14.73	1
   3	Main Event	$30,254	$14.55
   4	Stars and Strikes Family Entertainment Centers	$27,662	$13.30	8
   5	City of McKinney	$27,309	$13.13
   6	Boondocks Food & Fun	$26,958	$12.96
   7	Minnesota Limited	$26,611	$12.79
   8	American Dream Realty	$26,549	$12.76
   9	Urban Air Adventure Park	$26,475	$12.73	140
   10	Playground	$26,144	$12.57
   11	SPORTS ARENAS INC	$26,137	$12.57
   12	Genesis Health Clubs	$26,078	$12.54
   13	Rink Management Services	$26,054	$12.53	1
   14	South Suburban Parks and Recreation	$25,476	$12.25	2
   15	Chuck E. Cheese	$25,342	$12.18	191
   16	Palace Entertainment	$24,068	$11.57
   17	Gatti's Pizza	$24,054	$11.56
   18	The American Dream School	$23,971	$11.52
   19	Jewish Community Center	$23,944	$11.51
   20	Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey	$23,744	$11.42

4. Writing a Party Host Job Description

   A party host job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a party host job description:

   Party Host job description example

   Job DescriptionLife’s too short to not work some place awesome! If you have tons of energy, love kids, and are looking for a way to give back to your community, you may be the person we are looking for! We offer an amazing company culture, mentorship, and training to help YOU grow while growing and having Serious Fun with our students!
   We are currently looking for a Part-Time Birthday Party Instructors/Hosts . Position requires weekend availability.
   
   What we expect from you…
   
   Lead amazing Awesome Birthday Bashes for our awesome kids and guests. We follow a lesson plan to make it a special day for the birthday child. Provide outstanding customer service and membership experience. We treat our members like family here. Commitment to your team and your students. Please keep in mind that this is NOT a seasonal position. We take our training seriously here. You will learn gymnastics skills in addition to business training in sales, customer experience, operations, marketing, special events, etc. We are a symbiotic team environment where we work hard AND play hard! Background in gymnastics, cheer, sports, and/or dance a big plus. But an awesome attitude will go a long way!!! You’d fit in here if…
   
   You’re totally open to being a goofball and love giving high 5’s. (A background in child development, physical education and/or gymnastics helps as well) You live to serve! Making others feel good makes you feel good. Kids really like you, but their parents really like you too. You were voted most likely to be in a good mood by your high school class mates. You love to have fun but you know when to buckle down and do work. You may think we’re awesome because…
   
   You’ll get your steps in and close your activity rings while you work because you’ll be moving all day. We take our fun pretty seriously but also take the role we play in our community and with each child we meet seriously. The relationships you’ll build here will last a lifetime. You could get paid to fold t-shirts or you could get paid to act like a dinosaur. The choice is yours. This may not be your career but we are sure going to train you like it is. See what we do!!
   
   Check us out on social media (Facebook and Instagram @tlgocoeefl) to see what we do! You can also visit our website at www.tlgocoeefl.com!
   
   But seriously read the fine print…
   
   With more than 400 locations across the globe, The Little Gym is the world’s premier enrichment and physical development center for kids 4 months through 12 years. For nearly four decades, The Little Gym has helped millions of kids experience the thrill of achievement, develop new skills, and find new confidence through a variety of gymnastics-based programs. Parent/Child, Pre-K and Grade School classes are all taught in a clean, fun, safe and nurturing environment, which encourages children to develop at their own pace.
   
   As a part of The Little Gym team, you will be part of a family dedicated to the growth and development of children all over the globe. If this sounds like the job you’ve been dreaming about, what are you waiting for? We’ve been waiting for you! This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to The Little Gym Franchising Corporate.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find party hosts for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any party hosts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level party hosts with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your party host job on Zippia to find and recruit party host candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit party hosts, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new party host

   Once you have selected a candidate for the party host position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new party host. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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