How to hire a host/hostess

How to hire a host/hostess, step by step

Here's a step-by-step host/hostess hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a host/hostess job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new host/hostess
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a host/hostess do?

Post a host/hostess job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your host/hostess 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 host/hostess 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a host/hostess to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a host/hostess that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of host/hostesses and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Host/Hostess	Description	Hourly rate
   Host/Hostess	Food 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.	$9-15
   Food Runner	Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen... Show more	$8-16
   Front Desk Host	The front desk host is responsible for welcoming guests upon arrival. As the host, you will be required to oversee the operation of the front office... Show more	$12-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reservations
   • Cleanliness
   • Food Handling
   • Seat Guests
   • To-Go Orders
   • Wine
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Greeting Guests
   • Patients
   • Culinary
   • Cash Handling
   • Customer Service
   • Fine Dining
   • Telephone Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage restaurant's front desk area, including welcoming customers, and operating point of sales system (POS).
   • Manage restaurant sections in order to equalize seating arrangements for each waiter and ensure the restaurant are stocked and well maintain.
   • Manage the reception desk and help with front-of-the-house operations; organize reservations through OpenTable.
   • Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
   • Perform host and waiter duties keeping customer satisfaction high
   • Complete extensive customer service and history training and monthly wine education.

   More host/hostess duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the host/hostess job description is a good way to get more applicants. A host/hostess salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a host/hostess in Mississippi may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level host/hostess. Additionally, a host/hostess with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average host/hostess salary

   $12.60hourly

   $26,207 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level host/hostess salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average host/hostess salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$28,590	$14
   2	California	$26,896	$13
   3	Nevada	$26,012	$13
   4	Arizona	$25,994	$13
   5	Utah	$25,547	$12
   6	Oregon	$25,283	$12
   7	Maine	$24,883	$12
   8	Washington	$24,829	$12
   9	Massachusetts	$24,825	$12
   10	New Mexico	$24,741	$12
   11	New York	$24,463	$12
   12	Texas	$24,417	$12
   13	Pennsylvania	$24,197	$12
   14	Colorado	$24,120	$12
   15	Maryland	$23,993	$12
   16	Wisconsin	$23,984	$12
   17	District of Columbia	$23,930	$12
   18	Illinois	$23,927	$12
   19	Nebraska	$23,883	$11
   20	Louisiana	$23,875	$11

   Average host/hostess salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cisco	$37,560	$18.06
   2	St. Petersburg Yacht Club	$36,933	$17.76
   3	Rich Products	$36,643	$17.62	3
   4	Lexington Country Club	$35,709	$17.17
   5	First Book	$34,388	$16.53
   6	Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants	$33,905	$16.30	87
   7	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$33,836	$16.27	72
   8	On The Border	$33,572	$16.14	44
   9	Aspen Snowmass	$33,313	$16.02	8
   10	Anthony	$33,197	$15.96	4
   11	dnata	$33,099	$15.91	2
   12	Hyatt Hotels	$32,981	$15.86	146
   13	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$32,824	$15.78	21
   14	Scottsdale Insurance	$32,787	$15.76	1
   15	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts	$32,767	$15.75
   16	Skokie Country Club	$32,600	$15.67	1
   17	Il Fornaio	$32,590	$15.67
   18	HUB International	$32,473	$15.61
   19	bartaco	$32,387	$15.57	24
   20	Jeff Ruby	$32,256	$15.51	7

4. Writing a host/hostess job description

   A host/hostess 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 host/hostess job description:

   Host/hostess job description example

   Qualifications:
   - Exceptional customer service skills
   - High School diploma preferred/GED accepted
   - One (1) year experience in fine dining hospitality and/or full service senior living preferred
   - Ability to handle multiple priorities
   - Excellent written and verbal skills
   - You must have excellent organizational and time management skills and 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 ®

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right host/hostess for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your host/hostess job on Zippia to find and recruit host/hostess candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with host/hostess candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 host/hostess

   Once you've found the host/hostess 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new host/hostess. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a host/hostess?