How To Become A Restaurant Cashier: What It Is and Career Path

What is a restaurant cashier and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A restaurant cashier handles financial transactions in a restaurant. They typically operate a cash register or point-of-sale system and manage payments from customers, such as cash, credit cards, or gift cards. The cashier is also responsible for accurately calculating bills, providing change, and processing refunds or exchanges. Additionally, they may be responsible for managing reservations and seating arrangements, answering customer inquiries, and ensuring a positive dining experience.

ScoreRestaurant CashierUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $25,120

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.3

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.01%

Asian 9.48%

Black or African American 9.77%

Hispanic or Latino 23.24%

Unknown 5.38%

White 51.12%

Gender

female 72.49%

male 27.51%

Age - 28

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 - 28

Stress level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a restaurant cashier?

Pros

Opportunity to earn tips
Possibility of flexible scheduling
Possibility of advancement within the company
Opportunities for teamwork and collaboration
Opportunity to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment

Cons

Standing for long periods of time
Dealing with difficult customers or complaints
Working late hours or weekends/holidays may be required
Challenges with maintaining accuracy while handling money
Limited opportunities for career growth outside of the restaurant industry

Key steps to become a restaurant cashier

Explore restaurant cashier education requirements

Most common restaurant cashier degrees

Bachelor's

33.4 %

High School Diploma

32.8 %

Associate

18.2 %

Start to develop specific restaurant cashier skills

Skills	Percentages
Cleanliness	44.82%
Customer Service	37.95%
Cash Registers	5.06%
POS	3.49%
Cash Handling	1.29%

Complete relevant restaurant cashier training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New restaurant cashiers 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 restaurant cashier based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real restaurant cashier resumes.

Research restaurant cashier duties and responsibilities

Manage floor plans, conduct reservations over the phone as well as in person.
Drop fries, make coffees, and smoothies.
Work as a cashier in the dine-in area and the drive-thru area.
Book reservations for large parties, greet and sit guests upon arrival.

Prepare your restaurant cashier resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable restaurant cashier resume templates

Build a professional restaurant cashier 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 restaurant cashier resume.