How Much Does a Restaurant Hostess Make?

Hostesses and hosts are the first lines of a restaurant’s service staff. They organize reservations and seatings while making sure that servers and cooks are not overwhelmed with guests and orders.

Hostesses earn hourly wages and are often part of tip-share in restaurants. This article reports on our research on host and hostess salaries and provides some tips for increasing your salary as a hostess.

How much do hostesses make? (Average Hostess Salary Data 2023)

On average, hosts and hostesses earn between $18,000 and $32,000 annually. We averaged the wages reported by these three sources to get that range:

• Salary.com collects HR-reported data to provide salary ranges for various jobs. According to their research, hosts, and hostesses earn between $19688 and $30,196 annually, with a median salary of $23,700.

• CareerExplorer.com reports that the bottom 20% of hostesses earn $18,200 annually while the top 20% earn up to $33,000 annually. They also report on hourly wages–the average hourly wage for a host or hostess is $11.83/hour.

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on salaries across the US. They report an average hourly wage for hosts and hostesses of $12.50 and a salary range between $18,160 and $33,050.

An excellent way to determine how much you should earn as a host or hostess is by talking to other hostesses in your area. It might seem taboo to discuss earnings, but it's a good way to learn how much your skills and experiences are worth at other restaurants. Consider the kind of restaurant you work in and the location when negotiating for a competitive wage.

What Influences Hostesses Wages?

The kind of restaurant, the restaurant’s location, and skills and experiences all influence what you can earn as a hostess. And, the restaurant’s expectations for the hosts and hostesses should factor into their salary.

The kind of restaurant and its location are two of the biggest influencing factors of hosts’ and hostesses’ wages. The owners and managers determine how much they can afford to pay hostesses based on sales volume and profit margins.

Your skills and experiences also determine how much you can earn as a hostess. Not only does it influence what kind of jobs you can get, but restaurants are also often willing to pay workers with extensive experience a higher wage.

Finally, the restaurant’s expectations of their hosts and hostesses and the duties of the job influence their salary. Restaurants that expect hostesses to manage the complex logistics of reservations should compensate workers accordingly. Additionally, restaurants sometimes task the hosts with managing take-out orders or helping the service staff to keep the restaurant clean. All of those responsibilities should influence how much they earn.

Hostesses Earn Hourly Wages

Hostesses and hosts are typically hourly employees. They earn a set hourly wage and are compensated for the number of hours that they work at the restaurant. The hosts' hourly wage is often higher than that of other service employees who earn tips.

Sometimes, hosts and hostesses are included in the list of service staff that is “tipped out” by table servers. When hostesses help servers to ensure the quality of each guest’s experience, servers are willing (or required, in many cases) to share tips.

How to Increase Your Salary as a Hostess

Many restaurants are willing to hire hosts and hostesses with little to no experience. They train hostesses to perform the duties of the role for the restaurant. So, becoming a host or hostess doesn’t require special training or education.

But, if you want to get a job as a host or hostess in a higher-end restaurant, you might need to have experience in casual restaurants first. And fine-dining restaurants are more likely to offer competitive salaries than casual restaurants for hosts.

Because hosts and hostesses work as hourly employees, they can increase their wages by asking management if they can be scheduled for more hours or more shifts. The more hour you work, the more you will earn.

Being loyal to a company and working diligently and efficiently is another way to increase your salary as a hostess. While it might seem like an easy job, being a host or hostess requires great interpersonal skills and good organization. If you can do the job well, the restaurant’s manager is more likely to increase your wage over time.

Negotiating a Higher Hostess Wage

Negotiating higher wages as a host or hostess might seem intimidating. But, if you want or need to earn more, it’s a good idea to talk to your manager about how you can increase your wages.

When you sit down with the manager, provide specific examples of when you performed your responsibilities especially well. Show them that you are dedicated to the job by being punctual and asking questions about how to improve.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a wage that will support your needs and lifestyle. If it’s not in the budget, the management team will negotiate with you on the salary that the restaurant can afford.

Start Your Foodservice Career as a Host

Hosts and hostesses are often the first jobs of servers and bartenders. While it’s an important role, it's a great place to learn the ropes of restaurant service before moving into a more demanding position.

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