Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Also called: Buffet Hostess, Greeter, Host, HostessWelcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 10.1 hires for every 10 job openings in accommodation and food services, which employs about 95% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.10.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $26,130 | $22,390 to $28,470 | 5,400 |
| Alaska | $30,210 | $27,460 to $37,800 | 740 |
| Arizona | $34,740 | $31,200 to $38,190 | 10,710 |
| Arkansas | $26,760 | $24,380 to $28,890 | 3,110 |
| California | $36,640 | $35,200 to $42,860 | 41,100 |
| Colorado | $36,340 | $31,440 to $43,600 | 9,490 |
| Connecticut | $34,210 | $34,010 to $35,500 | 3,670 |
| Delaware | $31,200 | $31,200 to $33,690 | 1,680 |
| District of Columbia | $37,570 | $37,050 to $44,310 | 2,450 |
| Florida | $29,810 | $28,540 to $35,680 | 37,100 |
| Georgia | $27,850 | $21,920 to $31,790 | 17,300 |
| Guam | $20,450 | $20,170 to $20,600 | 250 |
| Hawaii | $47,070 | $31,160 to $57,310 | 2,650 |
| Idaho | $27,280 | $21,620 to $28,710 | 2,360 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $31,200 to $35,610 | 16,500 |
| Indiana | $26,920 | $22,210 to $30,920 | 9,730 |
| Iowa | $28,210 | $24,540 to $31,870 | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $28,110 | $22,920 to $31,990 | 4,540 |
| Kentucky | $27,100 | $22,520 to $29,550 | 5,120 |
| Louisiana | $22,060 | $17,750 to $26,730 | 6,440 |
| Maine | $36,800 | $33,980 to $41,860 | 1,460 |
| Maryland | $34,860 | $32,280 to $36,270 | 7,390 |
| Massachusetts | $34,960 | $31,200 to $36,490 | 13,540 |
| Michigan | $28,950 | $26,930 to $34,150 | 12,620 |
| Minnesota | $30,200 | $27,780 to $34,980 | 7,150 |
| Mississippi | $21,990 | $20,490 to $26,840 | 2,660 |
| Missouri | $29,130 | $28,600 to $34,510 | 8,510 |
| Montana | $28,910 | $24,050 to $33,860 | 1,260 |
| Nebraska | $28,450 | $28,080 to $34,960 | 2,830 |
| Nevada | $31,170 | $26,690 to $44,740 | 6,570 |
| New Hampshire | $33,920 | $28,750 to $35,860 | 2,130 |
| New Jersey | $34,050 | $32,220 to $36,490 | 9,420 |
| New Mexico | $28,480 | $27,740 to $29,850 | 2,670 |
| New York | $36,490 | $34,150 to $43,190 | 18,640 |
| North Carolina | $28,320 | $22,530 to $32,600 | 15,160 |
| North Dakota | $28,660 | $27,150 to $34,480 | 800 |
| Ohio | $27,550 | $24,300 to $33,300 | 15,480 |
| Oklahoma | $24,740 | $21,830 to $31,010 | 5,060 |
| Oregon | $40,720 | $33,280 to $48,850 | 5,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,170 | $23,960 to $34,920 | 18,020 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,480 | $21,840 to $22,560 | 1,270 |
| Rhode Island | $31,400 | $31,240 to $35,830 | not published |
| South Carolina | $27,000 | $21,410 to $30,090 | 7,990 |
| South Dakota | $30,310 | $29,120 to $34,230 | 630 |
| Tennessee | $27,490 | $22,310 to $30,180 | 11,280 |
| Texas | $27,080 | $22,310 to $30,010 | 35,550 |
| Utah | $29,610 | $27,300 to $34,720 | 4,950 |
| Vermont | $31,080 | $30,060 to $38,250 | 1,060 |
| Virgin Islands | $33,540 | $30,350 to $38,810 | 90 |
| Virginia | $30,490 | $28,380 to $35,440 | 10,890 |
| Washington | $37,270 | $35,720 to $45,040 | 9,530 |
| West Virginia | $24,420 | $22,030 to $27,460 | 1,580 |
| Wisconsin | $28,060 | $22,050 to $32,900 | 6,430 |
| Wyoming | $22,660 | $21,440 to $29,360 | 660 |
Nationally: $31,200. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Provide guests with menus. | Not published |
| Not much | Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed. | Not published |
| Not much | Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings. | Not published |
| AI + software | Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup. | Not published |
See all 20 tasks
| Not much | Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables. | Not published |
| AI alone | Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls. | 0.10% |
| Not much | Take and prepare to-go orders. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service. | Not published |
| AI alone | Inform patrons of establishment specialties and features. | Not published |
| AI + software | Receive and record patrons' dining reservations. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect restrooms for cleanliness and availability of supplies, and clean restrooms when necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate cash registers to accept payments for food and beverages. | Not published |
| AI alone | Direct patrons to coatrooms and waiting areas, such as lounges. | Not published |
| Not much | Hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare cash receipts after establishments close, and make bank deposits. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform marketing and advertising services. | Not published |
| Not much | Order or requisition supplies and equipment for tables and serving stations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with other staff to help plan establishments' menus. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #19 Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Execute financial transactions | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Prepare foods or beverages |
Show all 15 activities
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Develop recipes or menus | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Prepare schedules for services or facilities | |||
| Perform human resources activities | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Package objects |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer64%
- Advice or a recommendation8%
- An email or message2%
- Ideas or a brainstorm2%
- An analysis or summary1%
How they worked with Claude
10% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 104,699 moves out
- 1 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 8%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 7%
- 3 Cashiers High -6.5% 5%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 66,330 moves in
- 1 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 8%
- 2 Cashiers High -6.5% 6%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 6%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 42% less than high school
- 29% high school
- 16% some college
- 13% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 38% less than high school
- 27% high school
- 23% some college
- 5% associate's
- 6% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,448 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
20.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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