Post job

How to hire a dining room host

Dining room host hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring dining room hosts in the United States:

  • There are a total of 13,767 dining room hosts in the US, and there are currently 36,107 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a dining room host is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per dining room host on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Las Vegas, NV, has the highest demand for dining room hosts, with 7 job openings.

How to hire a dining room host, step by step

To hire a dining room host, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a dining room host, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step dining room host hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a dining room host job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dining room host
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
jobs
Post a dining room host job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your dining room host 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 dining room host 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?

    A dining room host's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, dining room hosts 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.

    The following list breaks down different types of dining room hosts and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Dining Room HostDescriptionHourly rate
    Dining Room HostFood and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.$11-18
    Bus PersonA Bus Person performs a variety of support while maintaining an active communication line with staff. They typically clean and set tables, unload ingredient deliveries, re-stock tableware and linen, prepare condiments and beverages, and maintain side stations... Show more$7-17
    Bar BackA bar back performs various support tasks in restaurants and other dining establishments. They may assist bartenders and other staff by taking orders, serving drinks, monitoring inventories, re-stocking supplies, discarding the trash, and maintaining the cleanliness of different areas... Show more$9-15
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Reservations
    • Cleanliness
    • Wine
    • Guest Satisfaction
    • Seat Guests
    • Fine Dining
    • Excellent Guest
    • Room Service
    • VIP
    • Customer Service
    • Cash Handling
    • Food Preparation
    • Compassion
    • Culinary
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage customer reservations and table seating arrangements.
    • Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
    • Operate POS system to input customer orders and print checks
    • Work over the phone with guests create dining reservations, party events, and fulfill customer needs.
    • Inform guests of the owners' history in the wine industry and develop rapport by accurately answering all questions.
    • Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room personnel to provide fast and courteous service to patrons, and to ensure cleanliness.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your dining room host job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A dining room host salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, dining room hosts' average salary in nebraska is 61% less than in hawaii.
    • Seniority. Entry-level dining room hosts earn 41% less than senior-level dining room hosts.
    • Certifications. A dining room host with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a dining room host's salary.

    Average dining room host salary

    $14.75hourly

    $30,681 yearly

    Entry-level dining room host salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 19, 2025
  4. Writing a dining room host job description

    A dining room host 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 dining room host job description:

    Dining room host job description example

    Job DescriptionOverview
    "It makes me feel good knowing that we make the residents’ lives better. We laugh with them, cry with them, sing and dance with them – we brighten their day. Working here is an unbelievable privilege and it will be something I carry with me for the rest of my life!"

    - Sunrise Team Member
    At Sunrise, our Dining Room Care Manager is responsible for providing dining and table services to residents in the community’s dining rooms and designated areas in accordance with Sunrise Senior Living standards.
    Responsibilities
    Responsibilities:
    - Serving as a role model in providing dining service to our residence
    - Assisting with training team members
    - Maintaining proper dining room set up
    - Assisting in special events
    - Monitoring appropriate checklists in support of the dining area cleanliness, readiness, standards
    - Assisting in table top inventories maintenance
    - Responsible for handling all food and beverages in accordance with sanitary procedures and standards
    - Ensure compliance with all federal, state and local regulatory procedures regarding food service Qualifications:
    - High School diploma preferred / GED accepted
    - Minimum of one (1) year experience in fine dining hospitality and/or full service senior living
    - Ability to handle multiple priorities
    - Possess written and verbal skills for effective communication
    - Competent in organizational, time management skills
    - Demonstrates good judgment, problem solving and decision making skills

    Sunrise considers the health and safety of its residents, family members, and team members as its highest priorities. All offers of employment with Sunrise are conditioned on completing and passing a background and drug test, participating in mandatory vaccine programs (e.g., Covid-19), participating in testing requirements (e.g. Covid-19, TB) and using designated PPE when required.

    Sunrise Senior Living offers a comprehensive benefits plan to eligible team members including health, dental, vision, retirement benefits, short-term disability, long-term disability, and paid time off. Team members may also be eligible to receive a bonus based on their position. Some leadership roles are eligible to receive annual bonuses. All team members have the potential to receive spot bonuses and other incentive awards.


    Qualifications

    Sunrise Senior Living has championed quality of life in senior care for more than 30 years. We believe team members are our greatest resource and are looking for people who share our commitment to provide quality care for seniors and their families. It's no surprise that many of the world's leading experts in Senior Living entrust their career to Sunrise.

    At Sunrise, you will…

    Make a Difference Every Day
    We are passionate about our mission — to champion quality of life for all seniors. We deliver high-quality care with a personal touch and encourage our residents to enjoy life to the fullest.

    Be Part of a Uniquely Supportive Community
    The care-focused environment we create for residents extends to our team members. We offer programs, rewards, and benefits to help you live your best.

    Ignite Your Potential
    We believe potential has no limits. We offer best-in-class leadership development programs designed to grow our leaders. We are committed to helping our team members achieve their career goals.

    Sunrise Senior Living was again named as one of the Best Workplaces in Aging Services™ by Fortune and certified as a Great Place to Work® by Activated Insights. This is the 5th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

    Apply today to learn why Sunrise Senior Living is a certified Great Place to Work ®

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find dining room hosts for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your dining room host job on Zippia to find and recruit dining room host candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit dining room hosts, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 dining room host

    Once you've found the dining room host candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new dining room host first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a dining room host?

There are different types of costs for hiring dining room hosts. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new dining room host employee.

The median annual salary for dining room hosts is $30,681 in the US. However, the cost of dining room host hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a dining room host for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $11 and $18 an hour.

Find better dining room hosts in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring dining room hosts FAQs

Search for dining room host jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs