Career
Food servers, nonrestaurant
Serve food in hospitals, hotels and other settings.
$35,360
Median pay
+4.5%
Job growth, 2025–35
48,800
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.
- Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities.
- Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
- Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items.
- Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, Coordination.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $35,360 a year and 48,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NO MATCHCIP 99.9999
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980 · +5.3%
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200 · +5.8%
- Waiters and Waitresses$35,230 · +2.0%
- Food Preparation Workers$35,320 · -3.0%
- Dishwashers$34,810 · -1.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.