How to hire a Waitress

How to hire a waitress, step by step

Here's a step-by-step waitress hiring guide:

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

What does a Waitress do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your waitress 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 waitress 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 waitress's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, waitresses 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 presents waitress salaries for various positions.

   Type Of Waitress	Description	Hourly Rate
   Waitress	Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.	$8-16
   Food Runner	Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen... Show More	$8-16
   Restaurant Server	Also called food servers, restaurant servers perform food preparation, cleaning duties, and customer service in casual dining eateries and restaurants. The food servers stock supplies, handle credit cards and the cash register, and clean restaurant counters and tables... Show More	$7-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Food Orders
   • Food Preparation
   • Customer Orders
   • POS
   • Drink Orders
   • Customer Service
   • Waiter
   • Clean Tables
   • Fine Dining
   • Alcoholic Beverages
   • Beverage Orders
   • Sales Taxes
   • Food Service
   • Bus Tables

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a recurring book of business of top VIP clients secure through networking.
   • Relay orders to bar and kitchen by quickly and accurately recording guest selections and keying them into the POS computer system.
   • wait tables, handle money, exceed guest expectations, serve food and drinks, micros, clean, side work.
   • Increase store sales by upselling merchandise.
   • Enter order/payment information into micros system, deliver receipt and change to the customer.
   • Bring wine selections to tables with appropriate glasses, and pour the wines for customers.

   More Waitress duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the waitress job description is a good way to get more applicants. A waitress salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a waitress in North Carolina may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level waitress. Additionally, a waitress with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average waitress salary

   $11.91hourly

   $24,770 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level waitress salary

   $17,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 30, 2025

   Average waitress salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	District of Columbia	$34,909	$17
   2	New York	$32,834	$16
   3	Massachusetts	$30,983	$15
   4	California	$30,575	$15
   5	Washington	$29,848	$14
   6	Arizona	$29,571	$14
   7	Colorado	$26,927	$13
   8	Illinois	$25,717	$12
   9	New Hampshire	$24,292	$12
   10	Pennsylvania	$24,201	$12
   11	Virginia	$23,075	$11
   12	Florida	$23,071	$11
   13	Iowa	$22,626	$11
   14	Nevada	$22,375	$11
   15	Georgia	$22,241	$11
   16	Utah	$22,009	$11
   17	Indiana	$21,678	$10
   18	New Mexico	$21,327	$10
   19	Nebraska	$20,485	$10
   20	North Carolina	$20,256	$10

   Average waitress salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	New York Institute of Technology	$43,735	$21.03	1
   2	Watersedge Restaurant	$34,310	$16.50
   3	Pine Hollow Country Club	$32,745	$15.74
   4	Country Club Roswell	$32,722	$15.73
   5	Kirby	$32,211	$15.49
   6	Wequassett Resort and Golf Club	$32,038	$15.40	1
   7	Erickson Senior Living	$31,431	$15.11	54
   8	Radisson Hotels International Inc	$31,023	$14.91	1
   9	Trinity Health	$30,704	$14.76	18
   10	Hyatt Hotels	$30,419	$14.62	206
   11	Transforming Age	$30,336	$14.58	7
   12	Eastmont School District	$30,277	$14.56
   13	Hyde Park Golf & Country Club	$29,546	$14.20
   14	Peterson Meadows Retirement Community	$29,528	$14.20	1
   15	Bertucci's	$29,299	$14.09	80
   16	Main Event	$29,116	$14.00	1
   17	Glory Days Grill	$29,038	$13.96	20
   18	Five Star Senior Living	$28,740	$13.82	87
   19	WesleyLife	$28,703	$13.80	6
   20	Interstate Hotels & Resorts	$28,604	$13.75

4. Writing a Waitress Job Description

   A waitress 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 waitress job description:

   Waitress job description example

   We have immediate opportunities available to join our team for anyone who is at least seventeen years old . (In New Hampshire, however, you must be at least 18 years old).

   As a Team Member at Red Robin, youll enjoy:

   • Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits for ALL team members
   • EXCELLENT Opportunities to grow with us - over 40% of our Managers were hourly Team Members
   • Multiple opportunities for raises in your first year, and continued opportunities beyond
   • Flexible work schedule
   • Referral bonuses for bringing new members to our team
   • Eligible for 401(k) retirement plan (if qualified)
   • 50% discount on Red Robin food and 25% for your family

   Red Robin isn't your typical burger restaurant. Since the doors opened at our first location in Seattle in 1969, weve always been a team filled with unbridled energy, magnetic personalities, and a passion for having fun!

   Now Hiring / Immediate Opportunities for Full Time and Part Time:

   • SERVER (WAITER / WAITRESS)

   You will be responsible for taking orders using handheld technology, serving food and drinks in a timely accurate manner, as well as delivering a fun and satisfying dining experience to Guests. This Front of House role, waits tables while providing guests with excellent customer service.

   Our mission is clear : Make it fresh. Make it fun. Make it memorable. And above all, make 'em smile. Become a part of our team today!

   Red Robin International, Inc & our independent franchisees each hire their own employees and establish their own terms and conditions of employment, which may differ from those described. We are an Equal Opportunity & E-Verify Employer who values having a diverse team in all we do.

   Red Robin is a full service restaurant concept that has growth opportunities in a casual dining restaurnat environment.

   This restaurant front of house job for server assistant will focus on guest service. You will be expected to provide efficiency and teamwork in a growing and dynamic environment.

   #SourcingPro #56uv #date101022 #redrobin654waiter

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right waitress for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting waitresses requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 waitress

   Once you've decided on a perfect waitress candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new waitress. 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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How much does it cost to hire a waitress?