A recent study found that an estimated 11.2 million people were working in the restaurant industry in the United States in 2021.
This booming industry might leave you wondering—is restaurant work a good career path?
In this article, we’ll share all you need to know about a career in the restaurant industry, including the 10 best-paying jobs in a restaurant and even entry-level jobs in the fast-food chain industry, if you’re just starting out.
Is Restaurant Work a Good Career Path?
Restaurant work can be a fulfilling and rewarding career in the hospitality industry, thanks to the competitive salary for positions and the opportunities for growth.
For example, you might choose to start out as a restaurant server or bartender and move up to a restaurant manager or director of restaurant operations position, or even use your experience to start your own restaurant or shift to another hospitality career.
For a full-time restaurant employee, the benefits package can include paid time off and health insurance.
Salary ranges for restaurant positions vary. While a server might make $45,000 per year between their hourly rate and tips, a kitchen manager might make $43,000 per year, while a sommelier might make $73,000 per year.
10 Best-Paying Jobs in a Restaurant
From managerial positions to culinary roles, here are the 10 best-paying jobs in the restaurant industry that will likely require special training, certificates and education requirements.
1. Wine Steward or Sommelier
A wine steward, also known as a sommelier, supervises the wine list at a restaurant, bar or hotel.
Other responsibilities of a wine steward include creating and updating the wine list, selecting and purchasing wine bottles, training staff on wine service and pairing and providing wine recommendations to customers based on their preferences and the food they are ordering.
- Average salary: $73,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Wine Director or Wine Manager
- Experience: Knowledge about extensive wine lists, wine cellars and wine service procedures is required.
- Education: A GED certificate or high school diploma is required. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in hospitality is a plus.
- Certification required: L3 wine certification from a reputable wine school
2. Director of Catering
From developing menus to creating budget reports and beyond, a director of catering is responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of the catering operations at a hotel or restaurant, when an event is taking place.
A director of catering collaborates with clients to plan events, coordinates with kitchen staff to ensure proper food preparation and presentation, manages catering staff and ensures that all events run smoothly.
A director of catering is also responsible for marketing and promoting the catering services offered by the hotel or restaurant.
- Average salary: $72,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: General Manager or Executive Chef
- Experience: Prior experience in catering and hospitality, and customer service and communication skills are required.
- Education: An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management is required.
3. Executive Chef
An executive chef is responsible for planning and creating menus, ordering supplies and managing inventory, supervising and training kitchen staff and ensuring that food is prepared to the highest standards.
- Average salary: $64,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Corporate Chef, Consulting Chef, Food and Beverage Director or Culinary Instructor
- Experience: More than five years of being a head chef is required.
- Education: An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in culinary arts is required.
4. Restaurant Manager
From supervising staff to overseeing food preparation and service, a restaurant manager is responsible for the restaurant’s overall operations.
A restaurant manager’s role includes hiring and training staff, managing the restaurant’s budget and ensuring the restaurant’s compliance with health, safety and sanitation regulations.
- Average salary: $51,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Regional Manager or Restaurant Owner
- Experience: Experience working in the food and beverage service industry and customer service experience as a manager are required.
- Education: A high school diploma is required. A bachelor’s degree in hospitality or training is a plus.
5. Bartender
A bartender prepares and serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to customers, upsells other menu items—such as appetizers or desserts—and enforces rules and regulations related to the sale and consumption of alcohol.
On top of creating drinks, a bartender maintains a clean and organized bar area by wiping countertops, washing glasses and mopping the floors.
- Average salary: $48,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off, for full-time employees
- Opportunities for growth: Bar Manager or Front of House Manager
- Experience: Knowledge in preparing and serving both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks is required.
- Education: A high school diploma and bartending courses at a community college are a plus.
Find out more about a bartender’s job description, salary and responsibilities by reading our detailed guides!
6. Line Cook
A line cook prepares ingredients for dishes. This includes chopping vegetables, cutting up meat and preparing sauces and soups.
In addition, a line cook is responsible for following recipes and presentation guidelines to prepare dishes, monitoring food inventory and restocking as needed and managing the stove and other cooking equipment, including grills, ovens and fryers.
In some cases, a line cook is also in charge of managing a dedicated station in the kitchen—such as the grill or sauté station.
- Average salary: $47,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Bar Manager or Front of House Manager
- Experience: Prior experience in cooking and food preparation.
- Education: A culinary school certificate or high school diploma is required. If you work in Florida or Illinois, you’ll also need a handler safety certificate.
Speaking of line cooks, check out our line cook vs. prep cook blog to find out the difference between these two positions!
7. Pastry Chef
A pastry chef is in control of planning and creating menus for desserts and baked goods, in addition to ordering supplies and managing inventory and training pastry chefs and bakers.
A pastry chef also takes charge of creating decorative pieces for desserts, such as chocolate sculptures or edible sugar flowers.
- Average salary: $48,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Executive Pastry Chef or Consulting Pastry Chef
- Experience: Two or more years’ worth of experience working within the food industry as a baker.
- Education: A high school diploma is required, while a certificate in culinary arts, pastry-making or baking is a plus.
8. Sous Chef
A sous chef is the second in command in a kitchen, under the executive chef. The sous chef is in charge of helping the executive chef within menu planning and food preparation.
If the executive chef is absent, the sous chef steps in to fulfill the executive chef’s responsibilities.
- Average salary: $45,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Executive Chef
- Experience: A cooking apprenticeship in any hotel or restaurant for three years or more is required. In addition, you need around three years of professional experience, before you are eligible for a position as a sous chef.
- Education: A high school diploma or GED certificate is required.
9. Kitchen Manager
From ordering supplies and managing inventory to monitoring food costs and controlling expenses, a kitchen manager is responsible for overseeing the overall operation of a restaurant kitchen.
- Average salary: $43,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance, paid time off and a flexible schedule
- Opportunities for growth: Restaurant Manager or Front of House Manager
- Experience: More than three years of kitchen manager or leadership experience. Depending on the state, a food handler’s card is also required.
- Education: A high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate is required.
10. Barista
A barista prepares and serves coffee using a variety of brewing methods (such as espresso machines, drip coffee makers and French presses), provides recommendations to customers and upsells menu items—such as pastries and sandwiches.
A barista is also responsible for maintaining and cleaning equipment (such as espresso machines and coffee grinders) and preparing food, such as sandwiches.
- Average salary: $32,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as health insurance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Shift Manager
- Experience: Prior experience in customer service and food and beverage preparation is preferred.
- Education: A high school diploma is required.
Is Work in the Fast-Food Chain a Good Career Path?
Are you just starting out in the workforce? Or maybe you’re looking for work that offers flexible hours?
Working in a fast-food chain is a great way to get experience working with customers, as well as learning basic job skills such as time management and punctuality.
Once you get the experience you need, you can explore other opportunities for growth—such as a managerial position.
6 Best Entry-Level Jobs in a Fast-Food Chain
With more than 5 million fast-food employees in the United States in 2022, starting out in fast food can help you build the experience you need to jumpstart your career in hospitality.
Here are the six best entry-level jobs in the fast-food chain industry that don’t require special education or extensive experience.
1. Shift Manager
A shift manager, also referred to as a shift lead, oversees the operations of the fast-food chain, including supervising staff, handling customer complaints and inquiries and ensuring that the restaurant is clean and well-maintained.
Typically, a shift manager reports to the restaurant manager or assistant manager, and they may have the authority to make decisions and solve problems within their shift.
- Average salary: $36,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as free meals, an employee assistance program, tuition assistance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Restaurant Manager or Assistant Manager
- Experience: Previous experience in a managerial role is required.
- Education: A high school diploma or a GED certificate is required. Some employers prefer a Bachelor’s Degree in Management, Hospitality or Business Administration.
2. Fast-Food Cook
A fast-food cook prepares takeaway food such as pizzas or burgers, operates cooking equipment such as griddles, ovens and deep fryers, and manages sanitation, health and safety standards in their work areas.
- Average salary: $34,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as free meals, an employee assistance program, tuition assistance and paid time off
- Opportunities for growth: Line Cook or Assistant Manager
- Experience: Prior experience in the industry and basic cooking knowledge are required.
- Education: A high school diploma or a GED certificate is required.
3. Pizza Delivery Driver
A pizza delivery driver distributes pizzas and other food items to customers’ homes or businesses, collects payment for the order and ensures that the correct order is delivered to the customer on time.
Typically, pizza delivery drivers use their own vehicles to make deliveries and are required to use a GPS or other navigation device to find their way to each destination.
- Average salary: $34,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as free meals, an employee assistance program, tuition assistance and paid time off for full-time employees
- Experience: Does not require any work experience.
- Education: No education is required, but you must be at least 18 years old.
4. Busser
A busser, also known as a food runner, cleans and sets tables, restocks supplies, refills water glasses and provides other beverages as needed.
When needed, a busser may also be responsible for performing cleaning tasks in the dining room, such as sweeping and mopping.
- Average salary: $32,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as free meals, an employee assistance program, tuition assistance and paid time off for full-time employees
- Opportunities for growth: Server
- Experience: Does not require any work experience.
- Education: A high school diploma or a GED certificate is required.
5. Maintenance Personnel
Maintenance personnel in a fast-food chain keeps the restaurant clean and organized by sweeping and mopping floors, and cleaning the dining area, restrooms and kitchen. This position is also in charge of taking out the trash and ensuring that all equipment is in good working order.
In addition to cleaning duties, maintenance personnel make sure that leaky faucets are repaired and dim light bulbs are replaced.
- Average salary: $32,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as free meals, an employee assistance program, tuition assistance and paid time off for full-time employees
- Experience: Proven maintenance experience and knowledge about power tools are required.
- Education: A high school diploma or a GED certificate is required.
6. Cashier
A cashier collects payments from customers, operates credit card authorization systems and balances cash drawers by counting cash at the start and end of the work shift.
- Average salary: $31,000
- Benefits: Non-cash benefits such as free meals, an employee assistance program, tuition assistance and paid time off for full-time employees
- Opportunities for growth: Shift Manager
- Experience: This does not require any work experience. However, some employers might prefer at least one year of experience in a customer service position.
- Education: A high school diploma is required.
Restaurants vs. Fast-Food Chains: What’s a Better Career Path?
Here are key factors to consider when determining which type of establishment is a better restaurant career path for you:
- Education requirements: Most restaurant jobs require employees to have at least a high school diploma with special training. On the other hand, most jobs in the fast-food industry don’t require special education or extensive experience.
- Work environment: Restaurants typically offer a more upscale and formal work environment, while fast-food chains are more casual.
- Opportunities for growth: Both types of establishments offer opportunities for advancement.
- Salary: Pay in the food industry can vary. However, in general, restaurants offer higher salary ranges—especially for positions that require specialized training or education.
The best career path for you depends on your interests, skills, experience and goals.
How Do You Get Started With a Restaurant Career?
If you’re interested in starting a career in the restaurant industry, here are some steps you can take:
- Explore your options: The restaurant industry is diverse, with different positions and responsibilities to choose from. Consider what type of restaurant you would like to work in (for example, fine dining or a coffee shop) and what kind of position you would like to apply for (for example, restaurant manager or line cook).
- Pursue education and training: Obtaining a degree or certification in culinary arts or hospitality management can help you stand out and advance your career.
- Build your network: Building relationships with industry professionals can help you explore job opportunities and strengthen your career path. Consider joining a professional organization such as the National Restaurant Association or participating in industry events to meet potential employees, mentors and colleagues.
- Find job openings and apply: Once you have some experience and get a clear idea of what you’re looking for, start looking for job openings that match your goals. Be prepared to start at entry-level positions and work your way up as you gain experience and skills.