Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Also called: Bar Host, Bar Hostess, Breakfast Host, Buffet Hostess, Deli Host (Delicatessen Host), Dining Coordinator, Dining Room Host, Dining Room Hostess
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
What hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop do
Typical tasks
- Provide guests with menus.
- Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
- Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
- Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
- Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.
- Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.
- Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service.
- Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.
- Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables.
- Inspect restrooms for cleanliness and availability of supplies, and clean restrooms when necessary.
- Take and prepare to-go orders.
- Inform patrons of establishment specialties and features.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary
The median annual wage for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop is $31,200 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $22,340 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $43,990. The mean annual wage is $32,690.
The mean hourly wage of $15.00 is 2.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $31,200 → in 3 years $34,300 → in 5 years $36,500 → in 10 years $42,700 (10-year range $36,700–$49,600). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.