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 2008, 8% of employees could not find jobs.
Area Job Conditions
Popular locations for employees include Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), Brunswick (Georgia), and Flagstaff (Arizona). Fewer are found in Lebanon (Pennsylvania), Bridgeport (Connecticut), and Waterbury (Connecticut).
Restaurant hosts and hostesses looking for high salaries should look at New York (New York), San Francisco (California), and New Bedford (Massachusetts), and should avoid Florence (Alabama), Lawton (Oklahoma), and Houma (Louisiana).
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.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.