Bar and Waiting Staff
Also advertised as: Bar and Waiting Staff, Bar Staff, Bartender, Food and Beverage Assistant, Front of House Team Member, Server
Serves food and drink, looks after guests and keeps service running smoothly.
What the job involves
Front of house staff take orders, serve food and drink, handle payments and manage the guest experience during busy service. It is flexible, widely available work that builds strong evidence of teamwork, pressure handling and customer care.
Typical responsibilities
- Greet guests and take orders
- Serve food and drinks promptly
- Handle payments and till accuracy
- Maintain cleanliness and licensing standards
- Resolve guest complaints politely
Common employers
- Pubs and bars
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Event caterers
- Stadiums
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£19,000 – £23,000 a year
With experience
£23,000 – £28,000 a year
Typical hours
Evenings, weekends and split shifts
Working environment
Restaurants, bars and function rooms
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Customer service
- Working under pressure
- Upselling
- Cash accuracy
- Teamwork
Transferable skills you may already have
- Any customer facing work
- Multitasking
- Working weekends
Requirements employers ask for
- Customer service
- Working under pressure
- Upselling
- Cash accuracy
- Teamwork
- No formal qualification required
- Personal licence for licensed premises management
Useful but not essential
- Any customer facing work
- Multitasking
- Working weekends
- Level 2 Hospitality Team Member
- Personal licence
Helpful qualifications
- Level 2 Hospitality Team Member
- Personal licence
Licences and checks
- Personal licence for licensed premises management
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Hospitality Team Member (Level 2)
- Hospitality Supervisor (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Hospitality
Where this career can lead
next
Supervisor
next
Assistant Manager
next
General Manager
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Flexible hours around study
- Tips supplement pay
- Rapid step up to supervisor
What people find hard
- Late nights and weekends
- On your feet throughout service
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a bar and waiting staff?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a bar and waiting staff earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £19,000 to £23,000 a year, rising towards £28,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Any customer facing work, Multitasking, Working weekends.
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Restaurant Manager
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Sous Chef
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Kitchen Manager
Manages the business side of a kitchen, including staffing, budgets and compliance.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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