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Skilled Trades

Waiters and Waitresses

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Median salary (BLS)

$35,230

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$18k – $65k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Waiters and Waitresses" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Waiters and Waitresses

    Entry / Junior

    $18,100

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Waiters and Waitresses

    Established

    $35,230

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Waiters and Waitresses

    Senior

    $49,975

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Collect payments from customers.
  • •Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
  • •Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
  • •Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
  • •Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.