While being a busser may not mean you get to drive a bus all the time, at least you don't have to deal with customers! At least, for the most part anyways. Instead, a busser's job is to set tables, keep beverage glasses full, and to keep areas clean and sanitized.

Typically, bussers work at restaurants, but some find work at special events. Really the only requirements for this job is being able to work with a team. That, and being quick/on top of things.

What Does a Busser Do

There are certain skills that many bussers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, customer-service skills and physical strength.

Learn more about what a Busser does

How To Become a Busser

If you're interested in becoming a busser, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 24.7% of bussers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 0.9% of bussers have master's degrees. Even though some bussers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

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Busser Job Description

A busser, working in a cafe, restaurant, or another food establishment, is responsible for clearing and cleaning tables and other surfaces. Their duties also include communicating with customers, assisting with purchasing decisions, and serving food and drinks.

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Busser Career Paths

Average Salary for a Busser

Bussers in America make an average salary of $24,111 per year or $12 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $33,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $17,000 per year.
Average Busser Salary
$24,111 Yearly
$11.59 hourly

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Roles and Types of Busser

The role of a busser includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general busser responsibilities:

  • Impeccable customer service skills, ability to perform multiple tasks under pressure
  • Responsible for clearing all table and resetting them for new seating in accordance with venue standards ensure each table is ready for guests arrival in accordance with venue standards responsible for approaching newly seated guests, serving bread, butter, water, etc. In a timely
  • Assist other foh & hoh staff members, etc. As needed. Observe customers

There are several types of busser, including:

Food Runner

Role:

Food runners are in charge of serving and delivering food to the right table at the appropriate time. You will welcome the customers, providing and explaining the items on the menus to them. You will help the customers relate their issues to the kitchen staff in which you prioritize and process their orders.

If the customer is not happy with the order, you have to help relate the issues to the appropriate quarters to help resolve them if it is something you cannot do yourself. Likewise, you will make sure the table is neat enough to be used by new customers. After being used, you will clean the tables and pack the dirty dishes back to the kitchen for the dishwashers.

Since the food runner will be standing and walking most of the day while simultaneously carrying food orders and dishes, you must have good physical stamina. Not just that, but you must be effective and efficient in finishing tasks by moving and acting fast while moving from the kitchen to the dining table and clearing tables. You will be paid an average of $20,549 yearly.

  • Average Salary: $25,536
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Bus Boy

Role:

Busboys are employed in restaurants and catering companies to support other staff. They remove used dishes and utensils between meal courses. They clean and clear the table to prepare for the next diners. Oftentimes, they help the servers deliver food and assist with refills. Furthermore, they ensure clean dishes, flatware, glasses, straws, napkins, and other dining materials are available. Asides from that, they carry used tableware to the dishwasher to be cleaned and help maintain the restaurant's sanitation standards

To become a busboy, you need a high school diploma or its equivalent. You must have previous experience in a similar role. You must possess customer service, dexterity, attention to detail, teamwork, and communication skills. Also, you must be able to work evenings, weekends, or even holidays. Depending on the employer, busboys can earn as high as $82,000. They earn an average annual salary of $31,445 with a low of $12,000.

  • Average Salary: $24,432
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Cafeteria Worker

Role:

Have you ever thought about what makes the cafeteria such a deliciously, refreshing place? It's not only food or ambiance but a whole Cafeteria team that works in harmony to comfort you. They take orders, clean the tables, cook, and serve food to you, and are always there at your call.

There is no specific education or course required to be a Cafeteria Worker, unless you want to cook. If you are educated but jobless, this is the best job you can opt for without giving a second thought. You can earn $10.81 per hour, enough to help pay your bills. You might also meet some highly qualified cafeteria workers. Why not opt for this as a part-time job to earn some extra dollars.

Although a Cafeteria Worker can work for 43 hours a week, you can extend your working hours depending on your performance. Cooking, serving, or cleaning, and other tasks fall into the role of a cafeteria worker, just be sure to smile to please your guests.

  • Average Salary: $24,465
  • Degree: High School Diploma

States With The Most Busser Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active busser jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where bussers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Busser Jobs By State

Busser Education

Busser Majors

19.7 %

Busser Degrees

High School Diploma

49.4 %

Bachelors

24.7 %

Associate

14.7 %

Top Skills For a Busser

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 23.6% of bussers listed cleanliness on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and customer-service skills are important as well.

  • Cleanliness, 23.6%
  • Work Ethic, 9.2%
  • TIP, 8.0%
  • Food Handling, 5.4%
  • Dishwashers, 5.2%
  • Other Skills, 48.6%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Busser Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Busser templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Busser resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Busser diversity

Busser Gender Distribution

Male
Male
73%
Female
Female
27%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among bussers, 26.9% of them are women, while 73.1% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among bussers is White, which makes up 57.6% of all bussers.

  • The most common foreign language among bussers is Spanish at 72.9%.

Online Courses For Busser That You May Like

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1. Rebuilding Our Relationship with Food

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Have you ever made a conscious effort to change the way you eat (for health or other reasons) and then felt frustrated when your plans were derailed? You’re not alone. The best laid plans are often sabotaged by a food environment that makes it increasingly hard to make healthier food choices. This can leave many people feeling mistrustful of food or feeling that our relationship with food is somehow broken. In this course, we’ll explore the history of our changing food environment, the science...

2. An Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health

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A food system encompasses the activities, people and resources involved in getting food from field to plate. Along the way, it intersects with aspects of public health, equity and the environment. In this course, we will provide a brief introduction to the U.S. food system and how food production practices and what we choose to eat impacts the world in which we live. We will discuss some key historical and political factors that have helped shape the current food system and consider alternative...

3. Fun food safety and sanitation course

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4.5
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The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

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Best States For a Busser

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a busser. The best states for people in this position are Maine, Vermont, Washington, and California. Bussers make the most in Maine with an average salary of $32,849. Whereas in Vermont and Washington, they would average $29,728 and $29,192, respectively. While bussers would only make an average of $28,769 in California, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Maine

Total Busser Jobs: 48
Highest 10% Earn:
$45,000
Location Quotient:
0.59

2. Idaho

Total Busser Jobs: 85
Highest 10% Earn:
$42,000
Location Quotient:
0.84

3. New Jersey

Total Busser Jobs: 447
Highest 10% Earn:
$41,000
Location Quotient:
0.92
Full List Of Best States For Bussers

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Top Busser Employers

Most Common Employers For Busser

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1The Cheesecake Factory$26,981$12.97468
2The Old Spaghetti Factory$26,345$12.6775
3Texas Roadhouse$25,159$12.10257
4Great Wolf Resorts$24,728$11.8982
5Snooze$24,407$11.7352
6Darden Restaurants$24,368$11.721,107
7Delaware North$24,353$11.7157
8Chili's Grill & Bar$24,067$11.5776
9Ruby Tuesday$24,042$11.5658
10Cici Enterprises$23,911$11.5056

Busser Videos

Becoming a Busser FAQs

How Long Does It Take To Become A Busser?

It takes one year or less to become a busser. That is the time it takes to learn specific busser skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

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