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What is a line server and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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Sitting at a food court or checking out shopping stuff at an outlet, the first person to greet you is the line server. Yes, your ultimate guide to a product line, menu, and all the information you want to know about offered products and services. They are the ones who do most of the negotiating with customers and can be considered a front-end spokesperson.

As you don't require much technical knowledge to fulfil your job duties, you are eligible for this job after graduating from college or school. This means completing your primary education and using your interpersonal skills, and you can earn $11.79 per hour by being a line server. You will also come across line servers in hospitals, cafeterias, airlines, and all such establishments.

Whether dealing online or being physically there, you have to answer your client/customer's multiple questions. And in order to do this for 43 hours within a week, you must have good stamina, physical strength, and a positive attitude.

ScoreLine ServerUS Average
Salary
2.2

Avg. Salary $28,300

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.0

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 6.49%

Black or African American 9.64%

Hispanic or Latino 18.63%

Unknown 6.92%

White 57.47%

Gender

female 66.31%

male 33.69%

Age - 21
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 - 21
Stress level
7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.7

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.7

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Line server career paths

Key steps to become a line server

  1. Explore line server education requirements

    Most common line server degrees

    High School Diploma

    49.4 %

    Bachelor's

    19.9 %

    Associate

    13.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific line server skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service20.76%
    Quality Customer Service19.71%
    Exceptional Guest7.25%
    Excellent Guest5.57%
    Safety Standards3.84%
  3. Complete relevant line server training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New line servers 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 line server based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real line server resumes.
  4. Research line server duties and responsibilities

    • Customer-Orient fast food worker with deep experience with POS systems, food preparation and safety regulations.
    • Experience with making smoothies and hot beverages while making sure customers are satisfied.
    • Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers, accurately process payment methods via POS system.
    • Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
  5. Prepare your line server resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your line server 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 line server resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable line server resume templates

    Build a professional line server 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 line server resume.
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  6. Apply for line server jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a line server 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 line server job

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Average line server salary

The average line server salary in the United States is $28,300 per year or $14 per hour. Line server salaries range between $21,000 and $36,000 per year.

Average line server salary
$28,300 Yearly
$13.61 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do line servers rate their job?

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Line server reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

The customers that treat you with respect are friendly kind and leave with a smile on there faces

Cons

Rude customers walk outs non tippers who don't clean up after their children just being disrespectful


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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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