Busser job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

15

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$33,980

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers (O*NET-SOC 35-9011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons. importance 4.5 of 5
2. Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning. importance 4.5 of 5
3. Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Greet and seat customers. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash. importance 4.4 of 5
7. Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays. importance 4.4 of 5
8. Locate items requested by customers. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Fill beverage or ice dispensers. importance 4.3 of 5
10. Carry food, dishes, trays, or silverware from kitchens or supply departments to serving counters. importance 4.3 of 5
11. Perform serving, cleaning, or stocking duties in establishments, such as cafeterias or dining rooms, to facilitate customer service. importance 4.3 of 5
12. Carry trays from food counters to tables for cafeteria patrons. importance 4.2 of 5
13. Stock cabinets or serving areas with condiments and refill condiment containers. importance 4.1 of 5
14. Serve food to customers when waiters or waitresses need assistance. importance 4.0 of 5
15. Clean and polish counters, shelves, walls, furniture, or equipment in food service areas or other areas of restaurants and mop or vacuum floors. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information and Assisting and Caring for Others.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Replenish supplies of food or equipment at steam tables or service bars.
• Wash glasses or other serving equipment at bars.
• Carry linens to or from laundry areas.
• Garnish foods and position them on tables to make them visible and accessible.
• Mix and prepare flavors for mixed drinks.
• Slice and pit fruit used to garnish drinks.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, English Language and Sales and Marketing.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Windows, Cafe Cartel Systems, Plexis Software Plexis POS, RestaurantPlus PRO. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most bussers surveyed by O*NET (74%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Busser
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Busser to facilitate food service.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
- Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
- Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.
- Greet and seat customers.
- Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash.
- Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.
- Locate items requested by customers.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in coordination, service orientation and active listening
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Food Production
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Facebook or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $33,980 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $16.34. BLS estimates about 542,750 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 95,300 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real busser posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only busser work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (coordination and service orientation); busser interview questions turns them into practice questions.