How To Become A Shift Leader And Server: What It Is and Career Path

What is a shift leader and server 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 shift leader and server. For example, did you know that they make an average of $11.93 an hour? That's $24,814 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 197,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreShift Leader And ServerUS Average

Salary

1.9

Avg. Salary $24,814

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.82%

Asian 8.30%

Black or African American 12.03%

Hispanic or Latino 18.24%

Unknown 5.70%

White 54.91%

Gender

female 67.72%

male 32.28%

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

Key steps to become a shift leader and server

Explore shift leader and server education requirements

Most common shift leader and server degrees

Bachelor's

45.1 %

Associate

23.1 %

High School Diploma

22.7 %

Start to develop specific shift leader and server skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	27.19%
POS	7.03%
Food Preparation	4.88%
New Servers	4.87%
Customer Complaints	4.59%

Complete relevant shift leader and server training and internships

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

Research shift leader and server duties and responsibilities

Provide customers with a great dining experience while serving or bartending.
Accommodate individual needs such as food allergies, drink preferences, and make suggestions.
Coach server team in upselling techniques to maximize ticket totals / high service standards.
Cater to their dining and bartending needs, while suggestively selling new items on the menu.

Get shift leader and server experience

Prepare your shift leader and server resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shift leader and 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 shift leader and 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 shift leader and server resume templates

Build a professional shift leader and 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 shift leader and server resume.

Apply for shift leader and server jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a shift leader and server job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How do shift leader and servers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Shift leader and server reviews

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.