Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
There are no specific educational requirements for food and beverage service jobs. Many employers prefer to hire high school graduates for waiter, waitress, and host and hostess positions. For many persons, a job as a food and beverage service worker serves as a source of immediate income rather than a career. Many entrants to these jobs are in their late teens or early twenties and have a high school education or less. Usually, they have little or no work experience. Many are full-time students or homemakers. Food and beverage service jobs are a major source of part-time employment for high school students.

Job Outlook:
Employment of food and beverage service occupations is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005. Job openings for food and beverage service workers are expected to be abundant through the year 2005. There will be approximately 2,394,000 waiters and waitresses, and 301,000 hosts and hostesses by 2005. Most openings will arise from the need to replace the high proportion of workers who leave this very large occupation each year. There is substantial movement into and out of the occupation because the limited formal education and training requirements for these jobs allow easy entry, and the predominance of parttime jobs is attractive to persons seeking a short-term source of income rather than a career.

Sources of Additional Information:

Information about job opportunities may be obtained from local employers and local offices of the state employment service.

General information on food and beverage service jobs is available from: