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What is a head waitress and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a head waitress. For example, did you know that they make an average of $13.13 an hour? That's $27,306 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 197,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreHead WaitressUS Average
Salary
2.1

Avg. Salary $27,306

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.2

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 8.31%

Black or African American 11.38%

Hispanic or Latino 18.63%

Unknown 5.63%

White 55.24%

Gender

female 95.23%

male 4.77%

Age - 25
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 25
Stress level
6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Head waitress career paths

Key steps to become a head waitress

  1. Explore head waitress education requirements

    Most common head waitress degrees

    Bachelor's

    34.5 %

    High School Diploma

    33.2 %

    Associate

    19.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific head waitress skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service31.70%
    Food Preparation7.38%
    Customer Complaints5.04%
    POS5.02%
    Food Orders4.45%
  3. Complete relevant head waitress training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New head waitresses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a head waitress based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real head waitress resumes.
  4. Research head waitress duties and responsibilities

    • Manage a recurring book of business of top VIP clients secure through networking.
    • Task with preparing all espresso beverages, smoothies, and food on the menu.
    • Operate POS terminals to input customers orders, swipe credit cards, and enter cash amounts receive.
    • Complete closing duties; assuring staff have fully restock inventory, closing out nightly sales and POS system.
  5. Prepare your head waitress resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your head waitress resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a head waitress resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable head waitress resume templates

    Build a professional head waitress resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your head waitress resume.
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    Head Waitress Resume
  6. Apply for head waitress jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a head waitress job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first head waitress job

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Average head waitress salary

The average head waitress salary in the United States is $27,306 per year or $13 per hour. Head waitress salaries range between $19,000 and $38,000 per year.

Average head waitress salary
$27,306 Yearly
$13.13 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do head waitresses rate their job?

-/5

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4 stars

3 stars

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1 star

Head waitress reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021
Pros

What I like about working as a hostess is that you get to greet and meet new people on a daily basis.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Cons

nothing


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Most waiter and waitress jobs are entry level, and workers learn through short-term on-the-job training. No formal education or previous work experience is required to enter the occupation. Most states require workers who serve alcoholic beverages to be at least 18 years of age, but some states require servers to be older. Waiters and waitresses who serve alcohol must be familiar with state and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Cons

Nothing because this job cocktail service is nice and I'm comfortable to serve our costumer.. And I want this job because vases on my Japanese work experience


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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