Annual Salary
£19,000 to £24,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Food & drink or Hotels or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Food & drink or Hotels or go back to all job sectors
Waiters serve food and drinks to customers in restaurants and cafes, take orders and handle payments.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
1.4% fewer Waiter jobs in 2029.
As a waiter you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work at a restaurant, in a coffee shop or in a food outlet.
Your working environment may be hot, humid and noisy.
You can get into this job through:
You could prepare for this job by doing a college course to get some of the skills you'll need.
Courses include:
You could apply to do a Hospitality Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
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.
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.
Further information
You can find out more about working in hospitality from Careerscope.
With experience you could:specialise in fine dining at formal events like weddings and banquets; progress to head waiter, restaurant supervisor or restaurant manager; move into kitchen management or stock purchasing
You'll need: