Host/waiter vs hostess

The differences between host/waiters and hostesses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a hostess has an average salary of $26,298, which is higher than the $25,593 average annual salary of a host/waiter.

The top three skills for a host/waiter include customer service, food handling and waiter. The most important skills for a hostess are reservations, exceptional guest, and seat guests.

Host/waiter vs hostess overview

	Host/Waiter	Hostess
Yearly salary	$25,593	$26,298
Hourly rate	$12.30	$12.64
Growth rate	10%	9%
Number of jobs	73,399	82,629
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	28	23
Years of experience	-	-

Host/waiter vs hostess salary

Host/waiters and hostesses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Host/Waiter	Hostess
Average salary	$25,593	$26,298
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $34,000	Between $20,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	V-Soft Consulting
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between host/waiter and hostess education

There are a few differences between a host/waiter and a hostess in terms of educational background:

	Host/Waiter	Hostess
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Host/waiter vs hostess demographics

Here are the differences between host/waiters' and hostesses' demographics:

	Host/Waiter	Hostess
Average age	28	23
Gender ratio	Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0%	Male, 14.1% Female, 85.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 10.1% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between host/waiter and hostess duties and responsibilities

Host/waiter example responsibilities.

Manage restaurant sections in order to equalize seating arrangements for each waiter and ensure the restaurant are stocked and well maintain.
Train employees on job duties and POS system.
Edit POS system to adjust for changes in prices and new inventory to assist ease of usage for employees.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Maximize profits by upselling food and alcoholic beverages and utilizing excellent customer service skills to ensure guests repeat business.

Hostess example responsibilities.

Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
Welcome guests upon arrival and provide seating arrangements base upon OpenTable reservations and guest preference.
Greet by name and escort patrons to their personalize private dining area while coordinating reservations and exemplifying customer service
Help bar back when need and learned minimal skills in bartending.
Make managers aware of guests' special dining requirements and allergies.
Set up and maintain continental breakfast buffet, hors d'oeuvres and VIP bar.

Host/waiter vs hostess skills

Common host/waiter skills

Customer Service, 27%
Food Handling, 21%
Waiter, 10%
Food Orders, 6%
Food Preparation, 5%
Customer Orders, 3%

Common hostess skills

Reservations, 49%
Exceptional Guest, 9%
Seat Guests, 4%
To-Go Orders, 4%
Bus Tables, 3%
Telephone Calls, 2%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Host/Waiter
Host/Waiter vs Hostess

Updated January 8, 2025

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