How to hire a waitstaff

How to hire a waitstaff, step by step

Here's a step-by-step waitstaff hiring guide:

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

What does a waitstaff do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your waitstaff 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 waitstaff 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

   A waitstaff's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, waitstaffs from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of waitstaff salaries for various roles:

   Type of Waitstaff	Description	Hourly rate
   Waitstaff	Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and beverages to customers in dining establishments.	$9-15
   Food Server	A Food Server specializes in helping customers attain a pleasant dining experience while ensuring to meet all food handling and health regulation standards. Most of the responsibilities revolve around greeting customers and directing them to comfortable seats, responding to their inquires and taking their orders, and courteously suggesting options... Show more	$8-16
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Service
   • Beverage Orders
   • Culinary
   • Team Work
   • Meal Orders
   • Wine
   • Cleanliness
   • Food Preparation
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Customer Service
   • Food Handling
   • Fine Dining
   • Bus Tables
   • POS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
   • Assist with stocking of pantry when groceries arrive.
   • Cater private events and perform light bartending duties.
   • Increase total restaurant sales by upselling specials and top-shelf liquors.
   • Work regularly on the pass as well as a waiter.
   • Offer meal suggestions base on diverse culinary repertoire and expert food knowledge.

   More waitstaff duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the waitstaff job description is a good way to get more applicants. A waitstaff 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 waitstaff in Nebraska may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level waitstaff. Additionally, a waitstaff with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average waitstaff salary

   $12.07hourly

   $25,104 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level waitstaff salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average waitstaff salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$34,225	$16
   2	California	$33,384	$16
   3	Connecticut	$30,468	$15
   4	Minnesota	$30,159	$15
   5	Arizona	$30,008	$14
   6	Hawaii	$28,786	$14
   7	Maine	$28,478	$14
   8	Oregon	$27,333	$13
   9	Missouri	$25,255	$12
   10	Florida	$24,146	$12
   11	Tennessee	$24,139	$12
   12	Michigan	$24,050	$12
   13	Arkansas	$23,912	$12
   14	Kansas	$23,504	$11
   15	Texas	$23,339	$11
   16	Iowa	$22,728	$11
   17	Ohio	$22,701	$11
   18	New Mexico	$22,577	$11
   19	Georgia	$22,488	$11
   20	Nevada	$22,107	$11

   Average waitstaff salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayo Clinic	$31,397	$15.09
   2	Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners	$29,946	$14.40	1
   3	Trinity Health	$29,703	$14.28	31
   4	Erickson Senior Living	$29,528	$14.20	25
   5	Oxford Health of New Jersey	$29,288	$14.08
   6	RiverWoods Exeter	$29,036	$13.96	3
   7	RiverWoods Manchester	$28,875	$13.88
   8	Hebrew SeniorLife	$28,674	$13.79	2
   9	Hotel Shangri-La	$28,460	$13.68
   10	Carnival Cruise Line	$28,243	$13.58
   11	Jewish Senior Life	$28,038	$13.48
   12	JEROME HOME	$28,001	$13.46
   13	Northbridge Communities	$27,947	$13.44	7
   14	Willamette View	$27,860	$13.39
   15	The Bristal Assisted Living	$27,786	$13.36
   16	Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc	$27,702	$13.32	277
   17	NCR At Home Health and Wellness	$27,629	$13.28
   18	Lahey Health Behavioral Services	$27,546	$13.24
   19	Five Star Senior Living	$27,417	$13.18	3
   20	Columbine Health Systems	$27,374	$13.16	1

4. Writing a waitstaff job description

   A job description for a waitstaff role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a waitstaff job description:

   Waitstaff job description example

   FULL TIME, 40 HOURS, NO LATE NIGHTS!
   
   To courteously and professionally serve all residents and their guests meals in the dining rooms. To maintain a neat and orderly work area and inform Dining Room Manager of residents likes and dislikes
   
   Presets tables in assigned area and follows serving and cleaning procedures as outlined in the Culinary Services manual
   
   To be familiarized with the daily menu offerings with special regard to chef special and soup of the day
   
   Being courteous to the members at all times, taking member food orders, serving food, bussing table and resetting table once resident has departed
   
   Keeping dining room and work area, neat and orderly at all times. Follows daily sanitation cleaning schedules
   Keeping coffee pots filled with fresh coffee and coffee station clean at all times Being alert to the likes and dislikes of residents when serving food and making the host/hostess promptly aware of any problems Attending in-service training sessions with co-workers to keep abreast of current knowledge in the field. Cooperating and coordinating work activities with co-workers to ensure a smoothly run department Performs assigned job related duties or special projects assigned by the Dining Room Manager Maintain a genuine interest in geriatric care, and must believe in and uphold the philosophy of the facility Able to display the art of food serving, must have pleasant personality and ability to communicate well with people Qualifications: High school graduate or equivalent required Basic computer skills Able to work flexible hours and days, including weekends and holidays Minimum of six months experience as a wait staff in an upscale hotel or restaurant Ability to pass a CORI background check and physical exam including TB test Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in verbal or written form Working Conditions and Physical Demands: Ability to stand for long periods of time and to walk short distances Frequent stooping, reaching and lifting Works in a clean, well lighted and ventilated environment Possible work hazards include: cuts, burns, slips and falls Follow uniform policy and good personal hygiene Hebrew SeniorLife requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of their employment. All new hires must be fully vaccinated, which includes any recommended COVID-19 boosters, before their start date. Any exemption requests for medical or religious reasons will be considered on a case by case basis and must be processed prior to any start date. Hebrew SeniorLife is an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and competence and not influenced or affected by race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, marital status, military status, veterans status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law. Powered by JazzHR 0mQDQ5REVM

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find waitstaffs for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit waitstaffs, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 waitstaff

   Once you've decided on a perfect waitstaff candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new waitstaff. 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a waitstaff?