Restaurant Host / Hostess
💁Greets guests at the door, seats them, manages bookings and the waitlist and smooths over conflicts. The face of the restaurant.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 $26.8k a year on average · +3.4% jobs by 2035 · 107,100 openings a year
Hosts & hostesses, restaurant, lounge, & coffee shop — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £22.7k median a year · 35,000 jobs
Waiters and waitresses — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
Online booking and AI assistants take over the phone and seating plans; a live welcome at the door stays in upscale venues.
Who it suits
Interests: 🤝 Helping and caring, 🍳 Cooking and hospitality, 💄 Beauty, style, fashion.
Key strengths: understanding people, attention to detail.
Where to study
- Course On-the-job training, no formal requirements
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Languages, English Literature.
🧗 No formal training needed: you learn on the job, often as a student side job. In the US hosts earn an hourly wage, often with a share of tips. Next step: front-of-house manager.
Things to know
🌙 Night shifts and on-call
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