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Boston Career Explorer

Food Preparation and Serving Related

Waiters and Waitresses

Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Also called: Banquet Server, Busser, Cocktail Server, Food Runner, Food Server, Restaurant Server

Median pay in Greater Boston
$39,270
$18.88/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
41,570
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−0.9%
9,940 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
No formal educational credential
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$31,930$35,880$39,270$45,910$64,150

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Collect payments from customers.
  • Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
  • Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
  • Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
  • Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
  • Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure31 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 19
  • Language-model AIOE 34
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 39

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is on the lower side, and observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools may help with taking orders, sending them to the kitchen, and processing payments. Checking in with guests, fixing problems at the table, and checking IDs still rely on people. Massachusetts job numbers are projected to dip slightly (-0.9%).

Likely to change

  • Entering orders and sending them to kitchen
  • Processing customer payments

Still relies on people

  • Checking in with guests and fixing problems
  • Checking IDs and reading the table

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Cooks, Restaurant

    Your knowledge of restaurant orders and pace carries over to the kitchen, with higher median pay ($45,830) and projected growth of 14.3%.

    Pay difference
    +$6,560 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +14.3%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

    Food service experience carries over to cafeteria cooking, which has a higher median pay ($48,530) and needs only short-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$9,260 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.7%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors

    Reading people and helping them in person carries over to fitness instruction, with higher median pay ($65,190) and projected growth of 14.0%.

    Pay difference
    +$25,920 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +14.0%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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