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Restaurant Hosts And Hostesses Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses Job Overview

Restaurant hosts and hostesses act as the public faces of a restaurant and the front line of customer service. They greet customers and escort them to tables, hand them menus, take food and drink orders and sometimes even serve the food and beverages. They answer queries, explain menu items and specials, and clean and set the tables and dining areas for new diners. Restaurant hosts and hostesses also schedule dining reservations, arrange parties and organize special services. In some restaurants, they also act as cashiers. Restaurant hosts and hostesses mostly work in teams.

Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses Schools and Degrees

Formal education in any specific subject is not required to become a restaurant host or hostess. They mostly acquire on-the-job training. Some employers provide self-study programs with the help of on-line programs, audiovisual presentations and instructional booklets. But they generally acquire skills by observing and working with experienced professionals.

Job Requirements

Employers generally prefer high school graduates for the positions of a restaurant host and hostess. To become a host or hostess, one should take courses in business, math, bookkeeping, family and consumer science or public speaking. Having a pleasant personality and being able to deal efficiently with customer problems are added advantages. Restaurant hosts and hostesses should also have good communication skills and remain calm and courteous during rush hours.

Restaurant hosts and hostesses can advance to the positions of waiters or waitresses. In larger establishments, the job duties may become more extensive, and they can be promoted to the level of a dining room supervisor or restaurant manager.

Nature of Work

Restaurant hosts and hostesses generally work in attractive and comfortable settings and environments. They are mostly stationed at the restaurant’s entrance. Since hosts and hostesses are required to be on their feet for a significant amount of their work hours, the job may be physically tiring. At all times they are required to maintain a neat appearance. In the more formal establishments, hosts and hostess may be required to wear uniforms. Full-time restaurant hosts and hostesses work for about 40 hours a week, while some even work part-time. Working on weekends, evenings and holidays is common in this profession. There are also several unions for restaurant hosts and hostesses.

Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, restaurant hosts and hostesses held about 351,000 jobs in the US. The employment rate is expected to grow by 10% in the next ten years. Employment is highest in the following industries:

  • Amusement and Recreation Industries
  • Drinking Places
  • Full-Service Restaurants
  • Limited-Service Eating Places
  • Traveler Accommodations

The mean hourly wage for restaurant hosts and hostesses in the US is about $8.54, while the mean annual wages are around $17,770.

Job Numbers and Growth

About 351,000 restaurant hosts and hostesses are employed nationally. Workers can expect a very high level of unemployment, if history can be used as a guide. In 2006, 8% of employees could not find jobs.

Area Job Conditions

Popular locations for employees include Flagstaff (Arizona), Fort Walton Beach (Florida), and Myrtle Beach (South Carolina). Fewer are found in El Centro (California), Bridgeport (Connecticut), and Waterbury (Connecticut).

Restaurant hosts and hostesses looking for high salaries should look at Barnstable (Massachusetts), New York (New York), and New Bedford (Massachusetts), and should avoid Beaumont (Texas), Anderson (Indiana), and Las Cruces (New Mexico).

Training and Education

Workers often obtain short-term on-the-job training before starting. The percentage of employees with college degrees is 17%. Restaurant hosts and hostesses with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 33% of the total. Some workers, about 51%, had a high-school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Part-time restaurant hosts and hostesses are 64% of all surveyed.

Restaurant Hosts And Hostesses by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Anniston$16,000140+23%
Auburn$16,000200+85%
Birmingham$17,0001,160-20%
Decatur$16,00080-40%
Dothan$15,000120-19%
Florence$15,000230+86%
Gadsden$15,000130+65%
Huntsville$16,000400-28%
Mobile$15,000330-33%
Montgomery$15,000420-8%
Tuscaloosa$15,000270+18%

Alaska

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Anchorage$19,000330-23%
Fairbanks$20,00090+19%

Arizona

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Flagstaff$17,000410+205%
Kingman$17,000180+45%
Phoenix$18,0006,880+32%
Prescott$17,000230+50%
Tucson$17,0001,340+32%
Yuma$16,000140-6%

Arkansas

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Fayetteville$17,000480-10%
Fort Smith$17,000180-41%
Hot Springs$16,000120+38%
Jonesboro$16,000110-8%
Little Rock$17,000760-18%

California

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bakersfield$18,000580-20%
Chico$18,000240+38%
El Centro$18,000100-19%
Fresno$19,000720-21%
Hanford$18,00060-10%
Madera$18,00060-30%
Merced$18,000130-7%
Modesto$18,000370-15%
Napa$20,000210+32%
Oakland$20,0002,220-23%
Oxnard$19,000890+10%
Redding$18,000240+45%
Riverside$19,0003,760+5%
Sacramento$20,0002,480+0%
Salinas$20,000470+15%
San Diego$19,0004,690+26%
San Francisco$24,0002,7800%
San Jose$20,0001,830-29%
San Luis Obispo$21,000380+48%
Santa Ana$19,0006,550+53%
Santa Barbara$20,000680+52%
Santa Cruz$19,000300+34%
Santa Rosa$20,000530+8%
Stockton$18,000540-6%
Vallejo$18,000430+35%
Visalia$18,000230-35%
Yuba City$18,000110+20%

Colorado

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Boulder$19,000790+85%
Colorado Springs$18,000980+44%
Denver$18,0004,580+31%
Fort Collins$18,000600+90%
Grand Junction$23,000240+73%
Greeley$17,000210+11%
Pueblo$17,000150+15%

Connecticut

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bridgeport$20,000490-59%
Danbury$20,000110-38%
Hartford$23,0001,020-37%
New Haven$22,000420-45%
Norwich$21,000580+78%
Waterbury$23,00040-77%

Delaware

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Dover$19,000150+12%
Wilmington$19,0001,010+12%

District of Columbia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Washington$20,0005,730-11%

Florida

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Cape Coral$19,000710+26%
Deltona$18,000480+17%
Fort Lauderdale$18,0002,500+23%
Fort Walton Beach$18,000430+126%
Gainesville$19,000380+27%
Jacksonville$18,0001,540-8%
Lakeland$17,000550+6%
Miami$20,0002,130-23%
Naples$19,000600+91%
Ocala$17,000150-38%
Orlando$20,0003,930+34%
Palm Bay$19,000840+60%
Palm Coast$19,00030+6%
Panama City$17,000480+179%
Pensacola$17,000730+85%
Port St Lucie$16,000580+75%
Punta Gorda$19,000190+103%
Sarasota$18,000990+39%
Sebastian$19,000220+89%
Tallahassee$17,000550+27%
Tampa$19,0003,880+14%
West Palm Beach$22,0002,240+51%

Georgia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Athens$16,000440+133%
Atlanta$18,0007,230+9%
Augusta$15,000600+9%
Brunswick$16,000310+207%
Columbus$17,000300+6%
Dalton$16,000140-28%
Macon$17,000240-6%
Rome$17,000120+41%
Savannah$18,000480+21%
Valdosta$15,000280+105%
Warner Robins$15,000210+74%

Hawaii

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Honolulu$21,0001,2000%

Idaho

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Boise$16,000720-2%
Coeur Dalene$17,000220+64%
Idaho Falls$16,000180+58%
Lewiston$21,00050-2%
Pocatello$17,00080+15%

Illinois

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bloomington$18,000420+139%
Champaign$18,000200-17%
Chicago$20,0008,810-18%
Danville$18,00090+55%
Decatur$17,00080-29%
Kankakee$18,000120+36%
Peoria$19,000470+4%
Rockford$18,000220-45%
Springfield$17,000260-2%

Indiana

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Anderson$17,000100+6%
Bloomington$16,000220+28%
Columbus$17,00070-31%
Elkhart$16,000190-44%
Evansville$17,000390-16%
Fort Wayne$16,000640+12%
Gary$17,000670-12%
Indianapolis$18,0002,610+5%
Kokomo$16,000140+69%
Lafayette$16,000340+78%
Michigan City$15,000120+17%
Muncie$15,000120+10%
South Bend$17,000650+82%
Terre Haute$16,000190+9%

Iowa

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Ames$19,000130+46%
Cedar Rapids$18,000310-12%
Davenport$18,000380-23%
Des Moines$17,000930+4%
Dubuque$17,000160+29%
Iowa City$17,000260+45%
Sioux City$17,000130-27%
Waterloo$17,000170-22%

Kansas

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Lawrence$16,000200+84%
Topeka$16,000170-41%
Wichita$16,000610-27%

Kentucky

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bowling Green$16,000200+42%
Elizabethtown$15,000160+54%
Lexington$17,000940+43%
Louisville$17,0001,760+3%
Owensboro$15,000240+106%

Louisiana

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Alexandria$15,000120-18%
Baton Rouge$16,000920-9%
Houma$15,000210-14%
Lafayette$16,000410+7%
Lake Charles$17,0002200%
Monroe$15,000220+11%
New Orleans$17,0001,530+9%
Shreveport$16,000520+11%

Maine

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bangor$18,000150-5%
Lewiston$19,00060-50%
Portland$21,000440-19%

Maryland

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Baltimore$19,0003,520-3%
Bethesda$18,0001,370-14%
Cumberland$17,00050-40%
Hagerstown$17,000290+14%
Salisbury$16,000220+72%

Massachusetts

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Barnstable Town$25,000300+16%
Boston$23,0004,290-11%
Brockton$21,000170-25%
Framingham$22,000480+11%
Haverhill$21,000270+39%
Lawrence$21,000190+36%
Leominster$21,000160+32%
Lowell$21,000260-18%
New Bedford$23,000130-19%
Pittsfield$19,00080+5%
Springfield$20,000700-14%
Taunton$20,00090-19%
Worcester$22,000580-14%

Michigan

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Ann Arbor$19,000420-5%
Bay City$17,00040-51%
Detroit$19,0002,050+4%
Flint$17,000560+55%
Grand Rapids$18,000870-17%
Holland$17,000440+68%
Jackson$18,000130+3%
Kalamazoo$17,000330-8%
Lansing$18,000580+12%
Monroe$18,000180+93%
Niles$17,000110-28%
Saginaw$19,000250+30%
Warren$18,0003,010-7%

Minnesota

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Duluth$17,000380+14%
Minneapolis$19,0004,850-3%
Rochester$18,000250+5%
St Cloud$16,000330+25%

Mississippi

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Gulfport$17,000510+81%
Hattiesburg$15,000240+73%
Jackson$16,000510-26%

Missouri

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Columbia$17,000330+59%
Jefferson City$17,000100-42%
Joplin$17,000150-26%
Kansas City$17,0003,040+6%
Springfield$16,000440-16%
St Joseph$18,000160+32%
St Louis$17,0003,000-21%

Montana

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Billings$16,000370+81%
Missoula$16,000110-13%

Nebraska

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Lincoln$16,000480+11%
Omaha$17,0001,280+0%

Nevada

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Carson City$16,00060-2%
Las Vegas$23,0004,320+68%
Reno$18,000730+31%

New Hampshire

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Manchester$20,0002700%
Nashua$20,000270-26%
Portsmouth$21,000200+45%
Rochester$20,000210+51%

New Jersey

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Atlantic City$22,000710+82%
Camden$20,0001,170-20%
Edison$20,0002,050-29%
Newark$21,0001,590-43%
Ocean City$21,000180+83%
Trenton$20,000270-53%
Vineland$19,00070-50%

New Mexico

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Albuquerque$17,0001,100+2%
Farmington$16,00060-53%
Las Cruces$15,000230+52%
Santa Fe$21,000230+47%

New York

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Albany$18,000620-49%
Binghamton$17,000250-9%
Buffalo$18,0001,070-28%
Elmira$20,000190+131%
Glens Falls$20,000120-6%
Ithaca$19,00080-21%
Kingston110-25%
Nassau$22,0001,670-52%
New York$26,0008,840-38%
Poughkeepsie$19,000570-12%
Rochester$20,0001,020-26%
Syracuse$18,000510-40%
Utica$21,000190-43%

North Carolina

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Asheville$17,000790+66%
Burlington$16,000220+52%
Charlotte$17,0002,450-1%
Durham$17,000680-9%
Fayetteville$16,000380+19%
Goldsboro$15,00090+2%
Greensboro$17,000900-12%
Greenville$17,000240+35%
Hickory$17,000330-24%
Jacksonville$15,000170+77%
Raleigh$17,0001,820+29%
Rocky Mount$16,000160+12%
Wilmington$17,000630+65%
Winston Salem$16,000650+12%

North Dakota

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bismarck$16,000220+60%
Fargo$16,000520+72%
Grand Forks$16,000140+21%

Ohio

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Akron$17,000970+5%
Canton$18,000460-1%
Cincinnati$18,0003,210+11%
Cleveland$18,0003,150+6%
Columbus$17,0003,310+27%
Dayton$17,0001,160+8%
Lima$17,000100-21%
Mansfield$16,000170+35%
Sandusky$17,000130+59%
Springfield$17,000100-12%
Toledo$17,000840-2%
Youngstown$17,000690+9%

Oklahoma

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Lawton$14,000190+120%
Oklahoma City$16,0001,760+12%
Tulsa$16,0001,150-4%

Oregon

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bend$19,000320+87%
Eugene$19,000300-24%
Medford$19,000210-2%
Portland$20,0002,270-22%
Salem$19,000390-2%

Pennsylvania

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Allentown$20,000730-21%
Altoona$18,000200+36%
Erie$19,000440+34%
Harrisburg$19,000820-5%
Johnstown$18,000120-13%
Lancaster$18,000730+14%
Lebanon$19,00050-55%
Philadelphia$22,0004,240-20%
Pittsburgh$20,0003,820+20%
Reading$19,000540+23%
Scranton$18,000700+0%
State College$23,000200+46%
Williamsport$17,00090-27%
York$20,0004800%

Rhode Island

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Providence$21,0001,710+9%

South Carolina

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Anderson$15,000280+89%
Charleston$17,0001,060+33%
Columbia$16,0001,000+4%
Florence$15,000130-39%
Greenville$17,000690-17%
Myrtle Beach$17,0001,010+227%
Spartanburg$18,000370+15%
Sumter$16,000110+36%

South Dakota

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Rapid City$17,000190+23%
Sioux Falls$18,000270-26%

Tennessee

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Chattanooga$17,000560-11%
Clarksville$16,000260+38%
Cleveland$16,000110+33%
Jackson$15,000150+7%
Johnson City$16,000280+50%
Kingsport$15,000320+8%
Knoxville$17,0001,210+32%
Memphis$19,0001,730+0%
Morristown$16,00090-20%
Nashville$17,0002,930+38%

Texas

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Abilene$15,000120-22%
Amarillo$16,000520+102%
Austin$18,0002,420+14%
Beaumont$16,000280-33%
Brownsville$15,000240-26%
College Station$15,000190-2%
Corpus Christi$16,000410-13%
Dallas$17,0006,150+5%
El Paso$15,000710-1%
Fort Worth$16,0002,540+6%
Houston$17,0005,840-19%
Killeen$15,000210-32%
Laredo$15,000210+0%
Longview$15,000110-54%
Lubbock$15,000360+14%
Mcallen$15,000330-44%
Midland110-33%
Odessa$16,000170+23%
San Angelo$16,000180+88%
San Antonio$16,0002,590+11%
Sherman$16,00090-3%
Texarkana$16,000190+44%
Tyler$16,000280+21%
Victoria$16,000100-10%
Waco$16,000210-15%
Wichita Falls$16,000120-15%

Utah

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Ogden$16,000510-5%
Provo$16,000390-11%
Salt Lake City$18,0001,710-2%
St George$18,000220+89%

Vermont

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Burlington$21,000240-16%

Virginia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Blacksburg$16,000240+60%
Charlottesville$18,000220-8%
Danville$15,000140+74%
Harrisonburg$17,000260+98%
Lynchburg$15,000240-7%
Richmond$17,0001,390-16%
Roanoke$18,000280-33%
Virginia Beach$18,0002,200+5%
Winchester$17,000140+10%

Washington

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Bellingham$19,000150-25%
Bremerton$20,000230+10%
Kennewick$19,000180-21%
Longview$19,00070-7%
Mount Vernon$20,000100-6%
Olympia$19,000300+26%
Seattle$21,0004,530+13%
Spokane$19,000360-36%
Tacoma$20,000630-14%
Wenatchee$19,00050-47%
Yakima$20,000140-31%

West Virginia

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Charleston$16,000240-37%
Huntington$17,000430+46%
Morgantown$16,000190+71%
Parkersburg$16,000110-37%
Weirton$18,00070-30%
Wheeling$16,000200+28%

Wisconsin

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Appleton$16,000320+8%
Eau Claire$17,000260+35%
Fond$19,00070-33%
Green Bay$18,000350-21%
Janesville$18,000240+49%
La Crosse$18,000160-6%
Madison$19,0001,040+14%
Milwaukee$19,0001,840-22%
Oshkosh$19,000110-48%
Racine$17,000100-48%
Sheboygan$17,00070-50%
Wausau$18,000100-40%

Wyoming

City and AreaMedian SalaryEmployeesJob Density
Casper$16,000120+35%
Cheyenne$15,000130+27%

Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this restaurant hosts and hostesses schools and jobs info.

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