Hiring guide · Hospitality, Food & Tourism
How to Hire a Restaurant Host
Pay benchmarks, qualifications, sourcing, screening and interview questions for hiring restaurant hosts, plus a plan to get them productive fast.
Write a clear job description, offer competitive pay (the national median is $31,200), recruit through culinary and hospitality school career centers, verify Hospitality training where applicable, run a structured interview with a practical skills check, and onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The hiring market for restaurant hosts
There are about 444,200 restaurant hosts employed in the U.S., with roughly 107,100 openings each year. Employment is projected to change +3.4% from 2025–35 (about as fast as average). Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or change careers, so a steady pipeline matters.
Pay benchmarks for offers
| Candidate level | Annual | Hourly* |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th–25th percentile) | $22,340–$27,570 | $10.74–$13.25 |
| Typical / mid-career (median) | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,250 | $17.43 |
| Top of market (90th percentile) | $43,990 | $21.15 |
*Annual ÷ 2,080 hours except median. National BLS data; adjust for your state and metro area. Many states and cities now require pay ranges in job postings.
What to look for
Must-haves
- No formal educational credential (typical entry level)
- Reservation systems
- Friendliness
Nice-to-haves
- Hospitality training
- Food handler card
- Customer service training
- Experience with openTable or Resy
Where to find restaurant hosts
- Culinary and hospitality school career centers
- Local job fairs and workforce programs
- Employee referral bonuses
- Internal promotion from entry-level roles
- Job postings that use common alternate titles: Host, Hostess, Greeter, Maître d’
Screening checklist
- Food handler or ServSafe certification where required
- Responsible alcohol-service certification for bar staff
- Working interview or stage (trial shift) for kitchen roles
- Availability for nights, weekends and holidays
Follow federal, state and local rules on background checks, drug testing and fair-chance hiring, and apply screening consistently to all candidates for the role.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers on a structured scorecard.
1. “Describe customer service experience.”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
2. “How do you handle a long wait?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
3. “Can you work weekends?”
What a strong answer includes: Answer.
4. “How do you stay organized?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
5. “Why hospitality?”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
Practical skills checks
A short demonstration beats a perfect resume. Ask candidates to talk you through, or perform under supervision, tasks such as:
- Quote an Honest Wait Time (see the steps)
- Balance Servers With Seating Rotation (see the steps)
- Calm a Guest Upset About the Wait (see the steps)
Red flags
- Can’t describe basic safety practices for the role
- Vague or inconsistent work history with no explanation
- Unfamiliar with core terms such as Front of house, Back of house, Section
- Negative talk about every past employer or coworker
Onboard for retention
The first 90 days decide whether a new hire stays. Use our Restaurant Host 30-60-90 day onboarding plan and give every new hire the same foundation with Restaurant Host training. Show them the path forward: Host → Lead Host → Server → Floor Manager.
Hiring restaurant hosts: FAQ
How much should I pay a restaurant host?
The U.S. median wage for restaurant hosts is $31,200 per year ($15.00/hour), according to BLS May 2025 data. Entry-level offers often fall near the 25th percentile ($27,570), while experienced hires command closer to the 75th percentile ($36,250). Adjust for your local market.
What qualifications should a restaurant host have?
BLS lists “no formal educational credential” as the typical entry-level education. Look for Hospitality training and Food handler card where relevant, plus skills such as reservation systems, waitlist management, and seating rotation.
How long does it take to train a new restaurant host?
Becoming qualified typically takes A few days on the job. After hire, plan for a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding period; BLS classifies on-the-job training for this occupation as “short-term on-the-job training.”