The restaurant and food-service industry is one of the largest employment sectors in the United States. Restaurants, hotels, resorts, cafés, catering companies, and other food-service businesses regularly hire chefs, cooks, servers, kitchen helpers, dishwashers, hosts, and other support workers.
For people looking for restaurant jobs in the United States, opportunities can range from entry-level positions requiring little formal education to experienced chef and kitchen-management roles requiring several years of experience.
This guide explains how to find restaurant jobs in the United States, what qualifications employers commonly look for, expected pay, how to prepare a resume, and what foreign workers need to know about legal work authorization.
1. Understand the Different Types of Restaurant Jobs
Before applying, decide which type of restaurant position matches your skills and experience.
Chef or Head Cook
Chefs and head cooks are responsible for planning and preparing food, managing kitchen operations, supervising kitchen employees, maintaining food-quality standards, and sometimes creating menus.
Experienced chefs may work in:
- Fine-dining restaurants
- Hotels and resorts
- Country clubs
- Catering companies
- Hospitals and institutions
- Large restaurant chains
- Private households
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 2025 median annual wage of $62,470 for chefs and head cooks.
Cook
Restaurant cooks prepare ingredients and meals according to recipes and restaurant standards. Positions can include line cook, prep cook, short-order cook, grill cook, and restaurant cook.
Formal education is not always required. Many cooks develop their skills through on-the-job training and previous kitchen experience.
Server or Waiter/Waitress
Servers take customer orders, deliver food and beverages, answer questions about menus, and provide customer service.
Good communication, patience, basic math skills, and a professional attitude are important.
According to the BLS, waiters and waitresses had a median hourly wage of $16.94 in May 2025, including tips in the wage data.
Kitchen Helper or Food Preparation Worker
Kitchen helpers assist cooks with food preparation, cleaning, organizing ingredients, washing dishes, and maintaining kitchen areas.
Food preparation workers typically do not need formal educational credentials or previous experience and commonly learn through short-term on-the-job training.
2. Check the Basic Requirements
Restaurant job requirements vary depending on the position and employer.
For entry-level jobs such as kitchen helper, dishwasher, or some food-service positions, employers may focus primarily on reliability, willingness to learn, physical stamina, and availability.
For servers, employers may look for:
- Good communication skills
- Customer-service ability
- Basic English
- Professional appearance
- Ability to work under pressure
- Flexible availability
- Previous restaurant experience, when required
For cooks and chefs, employers may request:
- Previous kitchen experience
- Knowledge of food preparation
- Ability to follow recipes
- Food-safety knowledge
- Ability to work quickly
- Knowledge of kitchen equipment
- Leadership skills for senior positions
Some states or local jurisdictions may have specific food-safety or food-handler requirements, so applicants should check the rules where they plan to work.
3. Improve Your English and Communication Skills
English can be particularly important for restaurant workers who interact directly with customers.
Servers and hosts generally need to communicate more frequently with customers, while kitchen workers may use English mainly to understand instructions and communicate with other employees.
You should be comfortable with common workplace phrases such as:
- Taking customer orders
- Explaining menu items
- Asking about allergies
- Communicating with kitchen staff
- Understanding workplace instructions
- Handling customer complaints
You do not necessarily need advanced English for every restaurant position, but stronger communication skills can expand the number of jobs you can apply for.
4. Get Relevant Training and Certifications
Training can improve your chances of getting hired, particularly if you have limited U.S. work experience.
Useful areas of training include:
- Food safety
- Food handling
- Kitchen hygiene
- Customer service
- Restaurant operations
- Culinary skills
- Workplace safety
For chefs, culinary-school education can be helpful, although it is not required for every position.
For entry-level kitchen jobs, employers often provide practical training after hiring.
5. Prepare a U.S.-Style Resume
A clear resume is important when applying for restaurant jobs.
Your resume should normally include:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- Location
- Work experience
- Job responsibilities
- Skills
- Education
- Certifications
- Languages
If you are applying for a chef position, highlight specific skills such as:
- Indian cuisine
- Italian cuisine
- Bakery and pastry
- Grill
- Seafood
- Food preparation
- Menu planning
- Kitchen supervision
For a server position, highlight:
- Customer service
- Order taking
- POS systems
- Cash handling
- Restaurant experience
- Communication
- Teamwork
For a kitchen helper position, highlight:
- Food preparation
- Cleaning
- Dishwashing
- Ingredient preparation
- Kitchen organization
- Ability to follow instructions
Keep the resume easy to read and focused on experience relevant to the job.
6. Search for Restaurant Jobs Online
There are several ways to find restaurant jobs in the United States.
Search using job titles such as:
- Restaurant Chef
- Sous Chef
- Line Cook
- Prep Cook
- Restaurant Server
- Waiter
- Waitress
- Food Runner
- Kitchen Helper
- Dishwasher
- Restaurant Host
- Food Preparation Worker
You can search through major job websites, restaurant company career pages, hotel websites, local employment agencies, and professional networking platforms.
Use specific searches such as:
“Chef jobs in New York with sponsorship”
“Restaurant server jobs in Texas”
“Kitchen helper jobs in California”
“Line cook jobs in Florida”
Adding the city or state can make your search more targeted.
7. Apply Directly to Restaurants and Hotels
Do not rely only on job websites.
Many restaurants, hotels, resorts, and catering companies advertise vacancies on their own websites or accept applications directly.
Look for employers such as:
- Independent restaurants
- Hotel restaurants
- Resort restaurants
- Restaurant chains
- Catering companies
- Convention centers
- Country clubs
- University dining services
- Healthcare food-service providers
For experienced chefs, contacting hotels and restaurant groups directly can also help identify positions that may not appear on general job boards.
8. Understand Restaurant Salaries in the United States
Restaurant pay varies significantly depending on the position, location, employer, experience, schedule, and tips.
According to 2025 BLS data:
| Position | 2025 Median Pay |
|---|---|
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $62,470/year |
| Cooks | $36,640/year |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230/year |
| Food Preparation Workers | $35,320/year |
These are national median figures and are not guaranteed salaries for individual jobs.
Restaurant workers may also receive tips depending on the position and employer. Tipped compensation can vary considerably by location, restaurant type, hours, and customer volume.
9. Consider the Location Carefully
Restaurant employment opportunities exist throughout the United States, but wages and living costs can differ significantly between cities and states.
Large cities and tourism destinations can have many restaurants and hospitality businesses.
Potential locations include:
- New York
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- Nevada
- Illinois
- Washington
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Massachusetts
Resort areas may also have seasonal restaurant employment.
Before accepting a job, compare the offered wage with housing, transportation, food, taxes, and other living expenses in that area.
10. Prepare for the Restaurant Interview
Restaurant interviews may be different from traditional office-job interviews.
Employers may ask questions such as:
For chefs and cooks:
- What cuisines can you prepare?
- How many years of kitchen experience do you have?
- Can you work during busy service periods?
- How do you maintain food quality?
- Are you familiar with food-safety procedures?
For servers:
- Do you have customer-service experience?
- Have you used a POS system?
- How would you handle an unhappy customer?
- Can you work weekends and holidays?
For kitchen helpers:
- Can you work on your feet for long periods?
- Are you comfortable cleaning and preparing ingredients?
- Can you follow instructions?
- Are you available for different shifts?
Some employers may also conduct practical tests, particularly for experienced cooks and chefs.
11. Understand Work Authorization Before Applying
This is especially important for people living outside the United States.
A job offer does not automatically give a foreign worker permission to work in the United States. You generally need an appropriate immigration status or employment authorization before legally working.
Depending on the circumstances, temporary employment programs can include categories such as the H-2B program for certain temporary nonagricultural workers. Eligibility and employer requirements apply, and not every restaurant job qualifies.
If you are searching from outside the United States, look specifically for employers that state they are willing and legally able to sponsor or hire foreign workers under an applicable program.
Do not pay someone simply because they promise a guaranteed U.S. restaurant job or guaranteed visa.
Always verify immigration information through official U.S. government sources or a qualified immigration professional.
12. Be Careful With Job Scams
Restaurant job seekers should be especially careful when applying internationally.
Warning signs can include:
- Guaranteed visa promises
- Guaranteed high salaries without an interview
- Requests for large upfront payments
- Fake employment contracts
- Requests to send money through personal accounts
- Employers communicating only through unofficial messaging accounts
- Requests for sensitive financial information before legitimate hiring
- Pressure to make immediate payments
A legitimate employer should provide clear information about the company, position, compensation, and hiring process.
Never assume that a job advertisement is legitimate simply because it contains a professional-looking logo or contract.
13. Build Experience if You Are a Beginner
If you have no restaurant experience, consider starting with entry-level positions.
Possible starting jobs include:
- Dishwasher
- Kitchen helper
- Food preparation worker
- Busser
- Food runner
- Counter worker
- Restaurant attendant
These positions can help you learn restaurant operations and develop skills that may lead to cook, server, or supervisory positions.
Food preparation workers typically receive short-term on-the-job training, while food and beverage serving workers also commonly learn their duties on the job.
14. Follow a Step-by-Step Job Search Plan
A practical approach is:
Step 1: Choose Your Job
Decide whether you want to work as a chef, cook, server, kitchen helper, dishwasher, or another restaurant worker.
Step 2: Check Requirements
Review the employer’s education, experience, language, certification, and work-authorization requirements.
Step 3: Prepare Your Resume
Create a professional resume focused on your restaurant skills and experience.
Step 4: Collect Documents
Prepare relevant certificates, employment records, references, and identification documents.
Step 5: Search for Employers
Use job websites, hotel career pages, restaurant websites, staffing companies, and local opportunities.
Step 6: Apply Regularly
Submit applications to multiple suitable employers rather than waiting for one response.
Step 7: Prepare for Interviews
Practice answering questions about your experience, skills, availability, and customer-service abilities.
Step 8: Verify the Job
Before accepting an offer, verify the employer, salary, job duties, location, and work authorization.
Step 9: Complete Legal Requirements
If you are outside the United States, make sure you have the appropriate authorization to work before beginning employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners get restaurant jobs in the United States?
Foreign workers can work legally in the United States when they qualify for an appropriate immigration status or employment authorization. However, not every restaurant position offers visa sponsorship.
Can I get a restaurant job without experience?
Yes. Some entry-level restaurant positions do not require previous experience. Kitchen helpers, food preparation workers, dishwashers, and some serving positions may provide on-the-job training.
Do chefs need a culinary degree?
Not necessarily. Experience and practical culinary skills are important for many chef positions. Culinary education can strengthen your qualifications, especially for specialized or senior roles.
How much can a restaurant worker earn?
Pay depends on the position, location, experience, employer, hours, and tips. BLS 2025 median figures include $62,470 per year for chefs and head cooks, $36,640 for cooks, $35,230 for waiters and waitresses, and $35,320 for food preparation workers.
Can restaurant jobs provide visa sponsorship?
Some employers may use available temporary-worker programs when the position and circumstances qualify, but sponsorship is not available for every restaurant job. Applicants should verify the specific immigration category and employer requirements.
Final Thoughts
Getting a restaurant job in the United States can be a realistic career path for people with culinary experience, customer-service skills, or a willingness to start in an entry-level position.
Chefs and experienced cooks can pursue opportunities based on their culinary background, while servers and kitchen helpers can often enter the industry with fewer formal qualifications. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports millions of jobs across food preparation and serving occupations, with about 2.4 million openings projected each year on average across the broader occupational group during 2025–2035.
The key is to choose the right position, prepare a strong resume, apply to legitimate employers, develop relevant skills, and understand U.S. work-authorization requirements before accepting employment.
For international applicants, immigration rules can change, so always verify current requirements through official U.S. government resources before making travel, employment, or visa decisions.