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Waiter/Waitress

Kaitiaki Tēpu Kai

Waiters/waitresses serve food and drinks in restaurants, hotels, clubs and other eating places.

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Secondary education

No specific secondary education is required for this job, but home economics (food and nutrition) and English to at least NCEA Level 1 are useful.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Up to NCEA Level 3
  • Certificate

Useful experience

Useful experience for waiters/waitresses includes:

  • restaurant, cafe or catering work
  • work involving customer service
  • retail work.

What you will do

Waiters/waitresses may do some or all of the following:

  • serve food and drinks
  • set and prepare tables for customers
  • hand out menus and wine lists
  • answer questions about the menu and take orders
  • clear tables and clean the restaurant
  • clean and polish cutlery and glasses
  • restock food and drinks.

Skills and knowledge

Waiters/waitresses need to have:

  • knowledge about menu items and wine
  • food and drink service skills
  • knowledge of food health and safety
  • selling skills.
Pay

Waiters/waitresses earn an average of

$24

per hour

Job opportunities
Good
Chances of getting a job as a waiter/waitress are good due to a shortage of workers.

Industry

Hospitality

Waiters/waitresses serve food and drinks in restaurants, hotels, clubs and other eating places.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements for waiters/waitresses as training is done on the job.

Waiters/waitresses can also study towards a New Zealand Certificate in Hospitality (Food and Beverage) (Level 3) while working.

You can also train to be a steward (similar to waiter/waitress) with the Defence Force.

Chances of getting a job

Strong demand for waiters/waitresses

Job opportunities for waiters/waitresses are good because low unemployment and an increase in job vacancies means there is a shortage of people available to do this role.

According to the Census, 21,171 waiters/waitresses worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Types of employers varied

Waiters/waitresses can work for:

  • cafes
  • restaurants
  • bars and pubs
  • catering companies
  • hotels.

Find out more about training

Hospitality New Zealand
(04) 385 1369 - info@hospitality.org.nz - www.hospitality.org.nz
Restaurant Association of New Zealand
0800 737 827 - info@restaurantnz.co.nz - www.restaurantnz.co.nz
ServiceIQ
0800 863 693 - info@serviceiq.org.nz - www.serviceiq.org.nz

Progression and specialisations

Waiters/waitresses may progress to senior roles, such as cafe/restaurant manager or maitre d'hotel.

Working conditions

Waiters/waitresses:

  • work full or part-time hours, and may work evenings and weekends
  • work in the dining areas of restaurants, hotels, clubs and other places where food and drink is served
  • spend a lot of time on their feet, in environments that can be noisy and stressful.

Physical Requirements

Waiters/waitresses need:

  • to have a clean and tidy appearance
  • to be reasonably fit and healthy as they are on their feet all day.

Useful personal qualities

Waiters/waitresses need to be:

  • friendly, helpful and polite
  • good at serving people
  • good at remembering things
  • able to work well under pressure
  • quick, efficient and organised
  • reliable and punctual
  • able to communicate and work well in a team.

Industry

Hospitality

Waiters/waitresses serve food and drinks in restaurants, hotels, clubs and other eating places.

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