As with any job, how much money you earn is a major concern. As a waiter, you will work long, tiring shifts, be on your feet for hours, and may deal with stressful customer service situations, so obviously you want to be paid well for how hard you work. Luckily, you will find that typically, being a waiter pays very well! Working as a waiter or waitress is a very popular job because of how much money you can make – depending on where you work you could find yourself making as much as $200 per night in tips as waiter, which can add up to a significant amount of money!
Of course, the amount of money you make as a waiter is very dependent on the kind of restaurant you work in. Since most of your wages will come from the tips left by your customers, it is important to understand how the type of restaurant you work at can affect how much you will make. While some waiters can expect to leave their shift with $200-$300 for a nights work, the typical waitstaff probably earns closer to $75-$100 a night. This not only depends on where you work, but the amount of money you get paid by the restaurant itself.
How Much Do Waiters and Waitresses Really Make?
However, this is unusual. As a server you can expect to earn significantly more than the minimum wage. Even at a family-style restaurant, diner, or chain restaurant, you will most likely deal with happy customers who tip between 15% and 20% of their bill, meaning you are making a significant amount of money hourly! In fact, the average a waiter makes per hour is closer to $15 an hour, which is more than double the federal minimum wage!
There are a few basic ways to increase your tips no matter where you work. The best way to make more money is to strive to be the best waiter you can be, whether you are serving a $200 bottle of wine or a bottomless refill of soda. If you are cheerful and efficient and do your job well, you will get higher tips! Keep in mind that customers are paying a tip in addition to their bill, and they dont even have to tip at all! Most often, a pleasant, funny, and efficient waiter will get a great tip, whereas a tired, disgruntled, or slow waiter may only get 10% which can be just a few dollars.
Restaurant Price Points Can Make A Big Difference
It might be hard to work for tips at first, but most waiters know that their hard work and positive attitude will create a memorable dining experience. Ultimately you will be paid for how hard you work – if a customer sees you doing your job well they will want to pay you accordingly, so you will find it is not hard to make good money no matter where you work!