Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary: $40,510 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 427,150 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop nationally earn a mean of $40,510. Employment in the series shown fell about 8% from the first to the last year; much hiring sits in accommodation and food services.
Key Statistics
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop: what the data shows
Common questions about hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 35-9031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 427,150 workers.
What does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make?
BLS national median annual wage: $30,380 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $40,510 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,586 |
| 25th percentile | $35,604 |
| Median (50th) | $36,931 |
| 75th percentile | $42,906 |
| 90th percentile | $47,298 |
What education do you need?
For Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Food Production, Sales and Marketing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -0.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -1.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 427,150.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 427,150 | 17.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 424,660 | 17.0% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 404,440 | 16.2% |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | 385,200 | 15.4% |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 372,300 | 14.9% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 357,110 | 14.3% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop workforce.
Employment Over Time
427,150 Workforce in 2023
The Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$40,510 Average Wage
In 2023, Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop earned an average of $40,510.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Salary distribution for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
168,174 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -0.6%
167,096 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -1.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 42,450 employees, $39,390 avg wage
- FL: 40,540 employees, $31,480 avg wage
- TX: 37,740 employees, $27,450 avg wage
- OH: 17,420 employees, $28,210 avg wage
- NY: 17,350 employees, $41,060 avg wage
- PA: 16,300 employees, $29,050 avg wage
- GA: 15,650 employees, $27,490 avg wage
- NC: 13,870 employees, $26,680 avg wage
- MI: 13,180 employees, $29,520 avg wage
- IL: 12,500 employees, $34,560 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 15,840 employees, $40,630 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 15,360 employees, $41,280 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 12,060 employees, $28,060 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 11,970 employees, $33,890 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 10,600 employees, $28,440 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 9,960 employees, $34,990 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 8,760 employees, $31,420 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 8,680 employees, $27,890 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 8,590 employees, $36,290 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 8,500 employees, $37,050 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Diversity
Demographic information on Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in 2023 was 427,150 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop workers.
Education level distribution for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Skills
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination.
Required skills for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Food Production, Sales and Marketing, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
Daily Activities
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop spend their time on activities such as Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.
About
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
The average yearly wage for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop was $40,510 in 2023.
SOC Code
35-9031 - Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop reports an average salary of $40,510.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 427,150 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.