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Waiter
Waitress, waiting staff, server
Waiters serve food and drinks to customers in restaurants and cafes, take orders and handle payments.
Average salary (a year)
£12000
Starter
£22000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
39.0 to 41.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings / weekends / bank holidays
on shifts
How to become
Explore the different ways to get into this role
You can get into this job through:a college course; an apprenticeship; volunteering; applying directly
College
You could prepare for this job by doing a college course to get some of the skills you'll need. Courses include
Level 1 Award in Introduction to Employment in the Hospitality Industry, Level 1 Certificate in Food and Beverage Service, Level 2 Diploma in Professional Food and Beverage Service
Entry requirements
You may need:
  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship
You could do the Hospitality Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Volunteering
You could volunteer in a cafe run by a local community organisation or a charity like the Royal Voluntary Service to develop your skills.
You can also find more volunteering opportunities through Do IT.
Direct Application
You can apply for waiter jobs without experience as you'll get training on the job.
You might have an advantage if you've worked in customer service before.
More Information
Further Information
You can find out more about working in hospitality from Careerscope.
What it takes
Find out what skills you’ll use in this role
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
    Customer service skills
    The ability to work well with others
    The ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
    To be thorough and pay attention to detail
    Excellent verbal communication skills
    A desire to help people
    Active listening skills
    A good memory
Digital Skills Level
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
What you will do
Discover the day-to-day tasks you’ll do in this role
Day to day tasks
As a waiter you could
greet customers, give out menus and take food and drink orders, answer questions about the menu and give advice on ingredients, serve food and drinks, handle bill payments and clean tables, handle any complaints and make sure customers are happy
Working environment
You could work at a restaurant.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Your working environment may be hot, humid and noisy.
Career Path & Progression
Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities
With experience you could
specialise in fine dining at formal events like wedding and banquets, progress to head waiter, restaurant supervisor or restaurant manager, move into kitchen management or stock purchasing
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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