Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses
Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
Table of contents
What they do
Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
- Provide guests with menus.
- Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
- Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
- Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses provide guests with menus. They greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
A typical day for a Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Host and Hostess will also include:
- Operate cash registers to accept payments for food and beverages.
- Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
- Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.
- Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers’ concerns are addressed.
- Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, respond to complaints, or make conversation.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses also plan parties or other special events and services. They may also hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses prepare staff work schedules. They might also prepare cash receipts after establishments close, and make bank deposits.
In addition, they direct patrons to coatrooms and waiting areas such as lounges.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them receive and record patrons’ dining reservations.
To some Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses, it is also their responsibility to confer with other staff to help plan establishments’ menus.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
56% said they were satisfied with their job and 33% said they found their job meaningful.
I worked as a hostess for sailing charters for The Yacht Week and The Bucketlust.
My key responsibility as a host is to ensure my guests have the best week of their lives. I love my job because I get to make people happy via my cooking and personality.
As a hostess, I am responsible for cooking breakfast and lunch every day, cleaning the galley, organizing activities onshore – like jet skiing or military tours, and recommending delicious restaurants for dinner. I work together with my skipper to show our guests a great time. The charter companies I work for, The Yacht Week and The Bucketlust, are extremely sociable, which I like.
Eventhough I’m working, I get to have a lot of fun on the job. It’s common for me to drink with my guests and show them how to party. The cooking standard is high, but I love making people smile by serving up meals.
My typical day
I usually start my day at 7 am and start to clean the boat. Then I cook breakfast for my guests. Until 3 pm, I’m usually cooking or cleaning, but I might have an hour’s break to sunbathe on the boat. After lunch, my main role is to introduce the guests to fun activities on shores and making dinner reservations at nice restaurants. The company I work for hosts a party each night, so I direct my guests to the party venue and typically join them in the festivities. After the party, I’m usually in bed by midnight.
Pros
The best part about my job is meeting people. I have an international global network of friends. I might not be wealthy financially, but I’m extremely wealthy in terms of relationships. I love connecting with my guests and other staff because I have people I can visit worldwide. Since I take care of my guests during the charter, they are super happy to invite and host me in their home cities. I’ve visited guests in Brazil, the USA, Australia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and more places!
It’s also an entertaining job, and I’m allowed to drink on the job.
Cons
Cooking on a boat is not like cooking in a regular kitchen. Each week I am on a different boat, and many of the utensils aren’t the best. Sometimes an oven doesn’t work well, or the knives or sharp, so I have to adapt to the different boat settings.
Another con is that The Yacht Week pays under the market rate for a hostess. We are doing a lot of work, and I would like The Yacht Week to compensate its staff more. I prefer working for the Bucketlust since they respect their staff and pay us an acceptable wage.
Partying can also be very tiresome. The job is essentially 24/7 because you want to make sure guests are always having a good time.
Pros
Suitable for people who like to start and carry out projects.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is very easy to get into this career. Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Short working hours (Less than 40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to solve problems mentally.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $17,780 to $19,670 per year or $9 to $9 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $32,360 | $16 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $28,170 | $14 |
| Median | $23,880 | $11 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $19,670 | $9 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $17,780 | $9 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water | $32790 | $15.76 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $29610 | $14.23 |
| Performing Arts Companies | $29220 | $14.05 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $28340 | $13.62 |
| Amusement Parks and Arcades | $28340 | $13.63 |
| Traveler Accommodation | $28340 | $13.63 |
| Other Personal Services | $27980 | $13.45 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $27630 | $13.29 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $27310 | $13.13 |
| Special Food Services | $27240 | $13.10 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Restaurant Hosts and Hostesses including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 276810 | $24490 | $11.78 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 13670 | $28340 | $13.63 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) | 6010 | $25940 | $12.47 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | 4370 | $24270 | $11.67 |
| Special Food Services | 2640 | $27240 | $13.10 |
| Gambling Industries | 2420 | $25490 | $12.26 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 1620 | $29610 | $14.23 |
| Amusement Parks and Arcades | 1300 | $28340 | $13.63 |
| Food and Beverage Stores | 1030 | $24520 | $11.79 |
| Employment Services | 970 | $26480 | $12.73 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.
They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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