Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary

The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the United States is $31,200 per year ($15.00/hour). Salaries range from $22,340 at the entry level to $43,990+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 432,690 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 1.5% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$31,200
per year
Hourly Rate
$15.00
per hour
Employment
432,690
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$22,340
25th percentile
$27,570
Median
$31,200
75th percentile
$36,250
90th percentile
$43,990

Job Growth (2024-2034)

-1.5%
Decline

Annual Openings

107,700
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

No formal educational credential

Training Needed

Short-term on-the-job training

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops.

Hosts and hostesses run the front-of-house door β€” greeting guests, managing the wait list, controlling table turns, and pacing seating to protect the kitchen and the server team. BLS reports median $31,200 (p10 $22,340, p90 $43,990) across ~432,690 workers. Most host roles are hourly ($12-17/hr with tip-share on the higher end), but the ceiling opens fast for hosts who learn floor management, OpenTable / SevenRooms / Resy platform administration, and VIP relations β€” lead host / maitre d' / floor manager pay reaches $22-28/hr plus tip-share, and door / reservationist roles at high-volume Darden, Cheesecake Factory, Bloomin' Brands, and TAO Group properties push $45-55k salaried. The job is the training ground for restaurant management β€” the majority of GMs at Darden, Cheesecake Factory, and Texas Roadhouse started at the host stand.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Wait-list and table-turn management
Quoting accurate wait times using rotation logic, server capacity, and kitchen ticket depth β€” not gut feel. A quote 10 minutes over reality loses the party; 10 minutes under torches the review.
OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, Tock, and Yelp Waitlist fluency
Configuring the floor plan, building reservation blocks, tagging VIPs, exporting shift reports, and diagnosing double-books before service. Every Darden, Cheesecake Factory, and TAO property runs on one of these platforms.
Rotation and seating strategy
Fair rotation across servers, balancing party size to server strength (a rookie server should not get a 12-top of birthday guests), and pacing seats so no station gets three tables at once.
Guest recovery and complaint de-escalation
The host absorbs the first complaint of the night. Acknowledge, apologize without over-promising, offer a concrete recovery (a comp cocktail, a manager visit, a fresh table), and hand off to a manager with a clear read of the party's temperature.
Phone reservations and large-party coordination
Take reservations by phone with accurate spelling, party size, seating preference, allergen and celebration notes. Coordinate 20+ tops with the MOD, chef, and lead server 48-72 hours out.
Menu and menu-modification knowledge
Fluency in the menu, current 86'd items, allergen substitutions, gluten-free / vegan options, and current LTOs β€” hosts are the guest's first source of information before the server arrives.
Team communication and pace control
The host is the intersection of servers, bartenders, bussers, and kitchen. Radio or comm-check every 10 minutes on wait, table availability, and 86'd items β€” and never seat a table without a bussed, marked table ready.

How to Become a Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

  1. 1
    Age 16+ and a food-handler / TABC-adjacent baseline
    Most host roles start at 16 (some at 15 with parental consent). No education requirement, but hosts who touch alcohol menus or seat alcohol tables need TABC (Texas), MAST (Washington), or state-specific alcohol-service certification.
  2. 2
    Apply at high-volume operators that promote from within
    Darden (Olive Garden, LongHorn, Yard House), Bloomin' Brands (Outback, Carrabba's, Fleming's), Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse, and TAO Group all run structured host-to-management pipelines. Casual-dining chains pay less at the door but have the fastest promotion paths.
  3. 3
    Learn the reservation platform inside out in your first 30 days
    OpenTable at Cheesecake Factory, Darden Signature Sites, and TAO. Resy at high-end lounges. SevenRooms at Fleming's and mid-to-upscale independents. Yelp Waitlist and Tock at casual and mid-tier. Fluency here is the fastest lever from $14/hr to $18/hr.
  4. 4
    Move into a lead host / head host / floor host role
    $16-20/hr plus tip-share (typically 1-3% of total tip pool). Own the door and the wait list during peak, cover the MOD's floor eyes, and mentor new hosts. This is the trigger point for promotion into shift supervisor or MIT programs.
  5. 5
    Advance to service manager, floor manager, or MOD via MIT program
    $45-58k salaried. Darden, Cheesecake Factory, Bloomin', and Texas Roadhouse all run 8-16 week MIT programs; hosts who show floor-management aptitude and OpenTable / Resy admin skill are the top pipeline. From there, AGM ($60-80k) and GM ($80-135k+ with bonus) are 3-8 years out.

Career Progression

Host / Hostess
0-2 yrs$22,340-$28,000 ($11-14/hr + occasional tip-share)
  • β€’Greet guests within 30 seconds of entry; quote and manage the wait list
  • β€’Seat parties in rotation using OpenTable / Resy / SevenRooms
  • β€’Answer phones, book reservations, take call-ahead seating notes
  • β€’Bus and reset host stand; keep menus, kids menus, and takeout bags stocked
Next: Lead Host / Head Host at 1-3 years once you're running the door on your own.
Lead Host / Head Host / Coordinator
1-4 yrs$28,000-$36,000 ($14-18/hr + 1-3% tip-share)
  • β€’Own the door and wait list during peak service (Friday / Saturday dinner, brunch)
  • β€’Administer the reservation platform β€” floor plan, blocks, VIP tags, exports
  • β€’Train and coach new hosts; run mini-shift briefings on 86'd items and reservations
  • β€’Coordinate large parties (12+ tops) with the MOD, chef, and lead server
Next: Maitre d' at fine-dining, or shift supervisor / MIT at casual and mid-tier at 3-6 years.
Maitre d' / Reservationist / Guest Relations Coordinator
3-8 yrs$40,000-$55,000 salaried at fine dining and high-volume properties; $18-24/hr + tip-share at chains
  • β€’Own reservations, VIP relations, and door strategy at a single high-volume or fine-dining property
  • β€’Manage the reservation platform end-to-end; forecast covers and staff by day-part
  • β€’Represent the restaurant at industry events, hotel concierge meetings, and press dinners
  • β€’Handle escalations from the door; partner directly with the GM and Executive Chef
Next: Floor Manager / Assistant Manager via MIT at 5-10 years.
Service Manager / Floor Manager / Assistant Manager
5-10 yrs$45,000-$62,000 salaried + 5-10% bonus
  • β€’Run the floor during service; MOD for 1-2 shifts / day, 4-5 days / week
  • β€’Manage the host team, server team, and bar team on shift
  • β€’Own guest recovery, table-turn targets, cover-per-labor-hour, and labor cost on shift
  • β€’Enforce alcohol-service, safety, and health-code compliance in real time
Next: AGM / GM at 8-14 years.
AGM / GM (single property)
8+ yrs$65,000-$135,000+ salaried + 10-25% bonus at high-volume chains
  • β€’Own P&L for a single restaurant β€” revenue, food cost, labor cost, guest satisfaction NPS
  • β€’Manage a team of 40-140 (chains) or 25-60 (independents)
  • β€’Hire, coach, and retain assistant managers and hourly leadership
  • β€’Represent the property to the district / VP, corporate marketing, and community partners
Next: Multi-Unit Manager / District Manager / Director of Operations.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 16 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. A guest has a 6:30 reservation on OpenTable and it's 7:15 with no available table. What do you do?situational
Own the delay immediately. Walk to the guest, use their name, and apologize concretely β€” not 'sorry for the wait' but 'we're 45 minutes past your reservation and I own that.' Offer a comp round or an appetizer while they wait, and set a real ETA (not 'a few minutes'). Loop in the MOD so the manager can drop by the table with a personal apology once they're seated. On the platform side, mark the reservation status accurately and tag the guest as VIP recovery in OpenTable / Resy so the next visit's server and manager see the note. On the floor side, look at the two stations closest to done and personally check with the server on when the check drops. This is the exact recovery script Cheesecake Factory, Darden, and Fleming's train their leads on.
Q2. How do you quote an accurate 45-minute wait on a Saturday night?technical
Three inputs. First, table-turn benchmark for the day-part β€” most casual-dining Saturday dinners average 55-75 minutes per turn; upscale runs 90-120. Second, current table depth β€” how many tables are on entree, on dessert, and on the check? Look at the POS or a physical clipboard, not the dining room. Third, incoming reservations β€” how many holds are on the platform for the next 30 minutes that will take priority over the wait list? Add the shortest turn time to a buffer of 5-10 minutes and quote that. Under-promise slightly; a party quoted 45 and seated at 40 leaves a 5-star review, a party quoted 30 and seated at 45 writes a Yelp complaint. Every Darden and Texas Roadhouse host learns this framework.
Q3. A regular VIP walks in without a reservation on a fully-committed Friday. What do you do?situational
First, confirm they're actually a VIP on the platform β€” pull their profile in OpenTable or SevenRooms and check the notes (frequency, average check, allergies, celebration dates). Second, page the MOD before you say yes or no to the guest β€” the MOD makes the seating call, not the host. If the answer is yes, seat them at the chef's counter, the bar, or a manager-hold table; if the answer is no, offer a reserved slot for the next available day and a comp round at the bar while they wait for a possible cancellation. Never turn a VIP away without a manager visit and a follow-up plan. At TAO Group and Cheesecake Factory VIPs are tracked by lifetime spend and the seating call is a revenue decision.
Q4. Why hosting, and where do you want it to take you?closer
The honest answer that hiring managers listen for: hosting is the fastest visible track from an hourly restaurant job into salaried management. Every GM at Darden, Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse, and Bloomin' started at the door or on a server station. You get to see the whole operation β€” kitchen pace, server rotation, bar covers, guest sentiment β€” from a control point. Say the specific ladder you're aiming at (lead host -> service manager MIT -> AGM -> GM) and one or two properties you'd want to lead. Hiring managers screen out 'this is a temporary job while I figure things out' answers β€” they want people who see the door as career-track.
Q5. You seat a 4-top and the server tells you they can't take another table right now. What do you do?situational
First, don't panic and don't seat them anyway β€” the server's real capacity signal protects the whole table's experience. Move the party to the next server in rotation whose station has open capacity, and rebalance the rotation on the wait-list clipboard or OpenTable floor plan so the loaded server catches up in the next 20-30 minutes. Radio the bar or hostess station that this server needs a food-runner or busser assist on their existing tables. Tell the guest what's happening β€” 'we're moving you to a different section so you can order right away' β€” and thank the server. Never let two servers double-seat because it's the fastest way to blow up the ticket time. This is the pace-control judgment call every good lead host makes 20 times a night.

Resume Template β€” Lead Host / Head Host (1-4 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Lead Host / Head Host (1-4 yrs)
  • β–ΈLead host at a 340-seat Cheesecake Factory location running 950-1,400 covers per Friday / Saturday dinner service; held average quote-to-seat variance under 4 minutes.
  • β–ΈOpenTable and SevenRooms administrator β€” built floor plan, VIP tag library, reservation blocks, and daily shift export reports; trained 6 new hosts across 2023-24.
  • β–ΈManaged 20+ large-party bookings monthly (14-40 tops) end-to-end with GM, chef, and lead server; zero missed pre-orders across 18 months.
  • β–Έ$16.75/hr + 2% tip-share (avg $85/shift) + free family meal + eligibility for Cheesecake MIT program (accepted Q2 FY24).

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Cannot quote an accurate wait time β€” uses guesswork instead of turn-time and station-capacity math.
  • βœ—Weak on OpenTable / Resy / SevenRooms β€” fluency here is table stakes at any high-volume operator.
  • βœ—Cold or scripted at the door β€” guests read the first 10 seconds; a rehearsed 'welcome to X, how many in your party' loses the room.
  • βœ—Poor phone skills β€” spelling reservations wrong, missing party size or allergen notes, mumbled greetings.
  • βœ—Won't seat a table without protest, or seats out of rotation to favor a friend server β€” kills team trust and the tip pool.
  • βœ—History of no-call / no-show or leaving the stand unattended during peak β€” hosting is the one FOH role you can't just cover.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Tip-share on top of hourly is negotiable at chains that don't publish a fixed percentage β€” Cheesecake Factory, Darden Signature Sites (Yard House, Capital Grille), and Bloomin' Brands upscale properties (Fleming's) all run 1-3% of the tip pool for lead hosts.
  • βœ“OpenTable / SevenRooms / Resy admin skill adds $1.50-3/hr on the lead-host wage; bring the platform certification (yes, OpenTable and SevenRooms have free admin training) to the offer conversation.
  • βœ“Metro and neighborhood premium β€” Manhattan, Chicago Loop, SF, LA Westside, and downtown Seattle hosts earn 20-40% more than suburban locations at the same brand.
  • βœ“TAO Group, Major Food Group, and other high-volume nightlife-adjacent hospitality groups pay $22-28/hr plus tip-share for door / VIP hosts; the door at a 200+ cover Saturday night dinner is closer to a nightlife-industry pay band than a chain host stand.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonuses of $250-1,500 exist at Darden, Cheesecake Factory, and Bloomin' in tight markets β€” always ask.
  • βœ“MIT program eligibility is worth negotiating early β€” a lead host with a signed MIT track pipeline out-earns a lead host on the same wage by year 3.
  • βœ“Tuition assistance ($2,000-5,250 / yr at Darden, Cheesecake Factory, Bloomin') stacks on top of wage β€” factor in if you're pursuing an AAS in hospitality or a bachelor's.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

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  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
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  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$22K
$47Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Hawaii
$47K
+51%
Oregon
$41K
+31%
District of Columbia
$38K
+20%
Washington
$37K
+19%
Maine
$37K
+18%
California
$37K
+17%
New York
$36K
+17%
Colorado
$36K
+16%
Massachusetts
$35K
+12%
Maryland
$35K
+12%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Hawaii$47,070+50.9%
Oregon$40,720+30.5%
District of Columbia$37,570+20.4%
Washington$37,270+19.5%
Maine$36,800+17.9%
California$36,640+17.4%
New York$36,490+17.0%
Colorado$36,340+16.5%
Massachusetts$34,960+12.1%
Maryland$34,860+11.7%
1–10 of 51

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Urban Honolulu, HI$47,110+51.0%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$45,240+45.0%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$43,410+39.1%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$42,400+35.9%
Grants Pass, OR$40,890+31.1%
Bend, OR$40,090+28.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$39,810+27.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$38,430+23.2%
Boulder, CO$38,220+22.5%
Napa, CA$38,200+22.4%
1–10 of 384
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earning $31,200/year would need 1910 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 2051 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary trend (2011–2024) β†’