Host job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

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

$31,200

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (O*NET-SOC 35-9031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Provide guests with menus. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Inspect restrooms for cleanliness and availability of supplies, and clean restrooms when necessary. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Take and prepare to-go orders. importance 4.1 of 5
12. Inform patrons of establishment specialties and features. importance 3.9 of 5
13. Receive and record patrons' dining reservations. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, Performing General Physical Activities and Performing for or Working Directly with the Public.

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.

• Operate cash registers to accept payments for food and beverages.
• Direct patrons to coatrooms and waiting areas, such as lounges.
• Prepare cash receipts after establishments close, and make bank deposits.
• Order or requisition supplies and equipment for tables and serving stations.
• Hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff.
• Confer with other staff to help plan establishments' menus.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Hospitality Control Solutions Aloha Point-of-Sale, Avenista Table Reservations. 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.

The most common answer among hosts surveyed by O*NET is less than a high school diploma (42%).

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

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Host.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Provide guests with menus.
- Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
- Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
- Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
- Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.
- Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.
- Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service.
- Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.

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 active listening, service orientation and speaking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [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 $31,200 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $15.00. BLS estimates about 432,690 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop to grow 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 107,100 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full host salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real host posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Provide guests with menus”, 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 host work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and service orientation); host interview questions turns them into practice questions.