Who are a host/ hostess?
If you are a person with good communication and management skills this job is for you. The greeting involves the start till end of the process, you welcome the guests escort them to their assigned area and help them with the entire experience. A host/hostess work involves greeting and managing guest, and helping them out with the accurate wait time and escorting customers to their assigned area. Sometimes the tables are occupied and the customers have to wait, it’s the host/hostess duty to help them to the waiting area and assign them with the estimated wait time. Let us see about the salaries for host.
The seats can be based on requirements like the customer may want a seat near the bar or a fine view place, the duty of any host/hostess is to help the customer with their desired location keeping the availibility of the restaurant.
What is the job of a host/ hostess?
- The host/hostess then assigns the customer with the server or waiter, who will then help them with everything.
- It’s important to interact with the customer the entire time.
- Ensuring the customers with satisfactory stay/ dine-in should be the major priority of any host/hostess.
- You as a host/hostess need to remember that you the first and last impression of any restaurant, who build the image of how that place carries their customers experience.
- You need to be updated with the information as any customer can call and cancel the reservation or can ask for a last minute booking.
Salaries for Host/Hostess
Salaries of host/hostess differ from place to place. Like every organization has their own set of rules, they also have different salary structure based on different positions and work.
In United States the total estimated average salary/pay of a host/hostess can go upto $32 to $30k per year and the average estimated salary per hour can go from $10 to $14 in United States and $35 tip per day, which can differ from place to place. Salaries in the US can typically start from $8 to $15.
A junior level host/hostess can go from $10 per hour to $21000 per year. A mid-level host/hostess salary can go from $11 per hour to $24000 per year. A senior level host/hostess pay can go from $14 per hour to $29000 per year. And last but not the least the top level host/hostess pay can go from $15 per hour to $33000 per year.
There are additional salaries that a host/hostess can gain through bonus, tips and commission, which can go upto, $2000 per year.
Salary of host/hostess based on years of experience
The estimated salary of a host/hostess less than a year is $13 per hour, for host/hostess experience of 1-2 years can vary from $13 to $14 per hour, experience of 3-5 years can go upto $14 – $15 per hour, experience of 6-9 years can can go anywhere upto $16 per hour and experience upto 10 years can go anywhere from $16 and above.
State wise average salary of a host/hostess
- The average salary of a host/hostess in District of Columbia is $35000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Washington, California and Massachusetts is $30000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in New York, Hawaii, Connecticut and Maine average salary- $29000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Colorado, Arizona, Vermont, New Jersey, Oregon, Virgin Islans, U.S. and Rhode Osland is $28000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Maryland and New Hampshire is $26000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Illinois and Minnesota is $25000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Alaska is $24000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Michigan, Arkanas, Utah, Virginia, Missouri, Nevada, Delaware, New Mexico and Idaho is $23000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Lowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Texas, Nebraska and Ohio is $22000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Indiana, West Virginia, and Montana is $21000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in North Carolina, Guam, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana is $19000 per year.
- The average salary of a host/hostess in Oklahoma, Kansas, Puerto Rico and Mississippi is $18000 per year.
How much tax to pay?
The tax structure differs from place to place. A host/hostess can either get paided montly, hourly or on the basis of tips awared by the customers based on serving.
Currently U.S. has 7 federal income tax brackets with rates of 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32% and 37%.
After a federal tax rate of 12% in 2018 taken out, Host/Hostesses can now expect to have a take-home pay of $16, 106/year, with each paycheck equaling approximately $671.
Factors affecting the salary structure
- Education qualification isn’t a very important factor for this job. However, part of these job criteria states that an individual needs to have a diploma degree in Hospitality and Management are the minimum requirement that needs to be fulfilled.
- Years of experience can be criteria for many restaurants. A mimimum bar is set so for applying for a host/hostess job. Work experience like any other job is vital here, minimum of 6months to 1year is required; it can vary from organisation to organisation.
- Performance reviews comes under affects is because many employers pay is based on their individual performances, this however becomes an important variable when considering for promotions or pay increment.
- Professional associations and certifications is this field can help with better opportunities. For a host/hostess job, a diploma in Hospitality and Management is required.
- A role of a host/hostess can be very challenging and might require a very less favorable work shifts times, which may lead to an imbalance in work life balance. A host/hostess a required to be ready for such challenges.
- Availibility comes under the job description; you can get a call that the staff wants your guidance in certain situations.
- Good physical and mental health is required. Your job description requires you to stand all day and move from one place to another for helping the customers with their needs.
- Language might be a factor depending on the required of the company, mostly companies want you to have fluency in English language; but some place might want to serve based on the authenticity of the place.
