Waitress Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, waitresses don't need a college education. The most common degree for waitresses is high school diploma with 36% graduates, with only 33% waitress graduates earning bachelor's degree. Waitresses who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Central State University. Some good skills to have in this position include food orders, food preparation and customer orders.

Popular waitress certifications include Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS), Professional Credit Associate (PCA), or Certified Food Manager (CFM). To improve waitress qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in waitress education paths.

What education do you need to become a waitress?

What degree do you need to be a waitress?

The most common degree for waitresses is high school diploma, with 36% of waitresses earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 33% and bachelor's degree degree at 18%.
  • High School Diploma, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 33%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a waitress?

You should major in business to become a waitress. 18% of waitresses major in business. Other common majors for a waitress include psychology and nursing.

Best majors for waitresses

Rank
ascdesc
Major
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
1Business17.5%
2Psychology9.0%
3Nursing8.2%
4General Studies8.2%
5Criminal Justice7.3%

20 best online courses for waitresses

Advertising Disclosure

1. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module

udemy
4.4
(960)

Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

2. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

3. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

udemy
4.7
(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

4. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

udemy
4.6
(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

5. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(601)

Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

6. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level

udemy
4.5
(2,276)

3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...

7. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

8. Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(11,267)

How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

9. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

udemy
4.5
(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

10. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

Average waitress salary by education level

According to our data, waitresses with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $28,531 annually. Waitresses with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $27,671.
Waitress education level
ascdesc
Waitress salary
ascdesc
Master's Degree$28,531
High School Diploma or Less$25,245
Bachelor's Degree$27,671
Some College/ Associate Degree$26,430

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs