# Waiters and Waitresses

US SOC code 35-3031. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/35-3031

Also called: Server, Waiter, Waitress, Restaurant server, Food server.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **2,270,910** US waiters and waitresses, with median pay of **$35,230** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **2,302,690**, in May 2024, close to the May 2025 count. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml) of **200,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for waiters and waitresses: Toast handheld POS + delivery platform integration, 2015 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=35-3031&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **22.4%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.94** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.94. BLS counted **2,403,960** of these jobs in May 2013 and **2,270,910** in May 2025. The count moved sharply in one step, May 2020 to May 2021, when BLS changed how it estimates these counts, so no change is derived here.

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Waiters and Waitresses employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1827
- Latest US employment: 2,270,910 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $35,230 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [14]
- Outlook: +2% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [38]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 65200)
  - Employment, 2020: 127,700. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [6]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 65200 Food and beverage servers, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$23,800. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [17]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 65200 Food and beverage servers, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.
- **United Kingdom** (UK SOC 9264)
  - Employment, 2025: 146,000. Source: ONS ASHE 2025 [10]. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Table 14): employee jobs in SOC 9264 Waiters and waitresses, United Kingdom, 2025 (ASHE "number of jobs", thousands x1000; excludes self-employment). Open Government Licence v3.0.
  - Median pay, 2025: £10,000. Source: ONS ASHE 2025 [21]. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Table 14.7a): median gross annual pay for all employee jobs in SOC 9264 Waiters and waitresses, United Kingdom, 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- **Australia** (ANZSCO 4315)
  - Employment, 2025: 129,900. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey [11]. ABS Labour Force Survey (Detailed), table EQ08: employed persons in ANZSCO 4315 Waiters, national (summed across sex and state/territory), annual average of 4 quarterly estimates.
  - Median pay, 2025: A$69,992. Source: ABS Employee Earnings May 2025 [22]. Annualised (x52) from A$1,346 median weekly earnings. ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025: median pay for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax. Surfaced via the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile.

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 200,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., IPUMS USA [1] |
| 1940 | 540,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., FRASER / St. Louis Fed [2] |
| 1966 | n/a | $2,100 (estimate) | Est., DOL [12] |
| 1970 | 1,100,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Monthly Labor Review [3] |
| 1991 | n/a | $8,840 (estimate) | Est., CEPR [13] |
| 2000 | 2,008,760 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 2,125,100 | $14,100 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 2,219,850 | $14,050 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 2,274,770 | $14,200 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 2,312,930 | $14,850 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 2,357,040 | $15,850 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 2,371,750 | $16,660 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 2,302,070 | $17,690 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 2,244,480 | $18,330 | BLS OEWS May 2010 (employment) [5]; BLS OEWS 2010 (pay) [15] |
| 2011 | 2,289,010 | $18,570 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 2,332,020 | $18,540 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 2,403,960 | $18,590 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 2,445,230 | $18,730 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 2,505,630 | $19,250 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 2,564,610 | $19,990 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 2,584,220 | $20,820 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 2,582,410 | $21,780 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 2,579,020 | $22,890 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 1,944,240 | $23,740 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 1,804,030 | $26,000 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 2,122,210 | $29,120 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 2,237,850 | $31,940 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 2,302,690 | $33,760 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 2,270,910 | $35,230 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (110)

### Employment series

1. [IPUMS USA — 1900 Occupational Classification (Domestic and Personal Service categories); Fred Harvey Company history (100,000 Harvey Girls by 1901)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota; Fred Harvey Company
2. [FRASER / St. Louis Fed — Women's Bureau Bulletin No. 218, "Women's Occupations Through Seven Decades" (1947 BLS/Census waiter-waitress occupational data)](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/women-s-occupations-seven-decades-5489/fulltext), Bureau of Labor Statistics / Women's Bureau
3. [BLS Monthly Labor Review — "Occupational employment changes during recessions" (March 2006, food services employment series historical context)](https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2006/03/art3full.pdf), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
7. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9224, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2002](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2002/2002-table-14.zip), [2006](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2006consistentw_007methodology/2006-table-14.zip), [2010](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2010revised/2010-revised-table-14.zip)
8. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9273, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2011](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2011revisedbasedonsoc2010/2011-revised-table-14.zip), [2015](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2015/table142015revised.zip), [2020](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2020revised/table142020revised.zip)
9. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9264, United Kingdom, 2022. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2022revised/ashetable142022revised.zip), Office for National Statistics
10. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9264, United Kingdom, 2025. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2025provisional/ashetable142025provisional.zip), Office for National Statistics
11. [ABS: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, table EQ08 (Employed persons by Occupation unit group, ANZSCO 2013), latest release](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/latest-release), Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Wage series

12. [DOL — Fair Labor Standards Act of 1966 (first restaurant/hotel worker coverage, federal minimum wage $1.25/hr); ESTIMATE: ~$2,100/yr cash wages only, tips excluded — total comp likely 2-3x cash. Pre-tip-credit wage series requires BLS Industry Wage Survey (SIC 5812) via FRASER, not verified this pass.](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa), US Department of Labor
13. [CEPR — "The Tipped Minimum Wage Has Been $2.13 Since 1991" (1991 freeze, $2.13/hr cash floor); ESTIMATE: $2.13/hr × 2,080 hrs = $4,430 cash; total comp ~2x cash ~$8,840. Cash-only BLS wages for tipped workers understate actual earnings.](https://cepr.net/publications/tipped-minimum-wage/), Center for Economic and Policy Research
14. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
15. [BLS OOH — Waiters and Waitresses (circa 2010 OEWS baseline ~$18,330/yr cash wages only; tips excluded; total comp typically $25,000–$35,000 for full-time server)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/waiters-and-waitresses.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
16. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
17. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada
18. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9224, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2002](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2002/2002-table-14.zip), [2006](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2006consistentw_007methodology/2006-table-14.zip), [2010](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2010revised/2010-revised-table-14.zip)
19. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9273, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2011](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2011revisedbasedonsoc2010/2011-revised-table-14.zip), [2015](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2015/table142015revised.zip), [2020](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2020revised/table142020revised.zip)
20. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9264, United Kingdom, 2022. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2022revised/ashetable142022revised.zip), Office for National Statistics
21. [ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 9264, United Kingdom, 2025. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2025provisional/ashetable142025provisional.zip), Office for National Statistics
22. [Jobs and Skills Australia: Waiters (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025)](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/4315-waiters), Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Tool eras

23. [Delmonico's — "The History of Delmonico's" (founded 1827, à la carte printed menu, clothed tables, professional service staff)](https://www.theoriginaldelmonicos.com/our-history/), Delmonico's Restaurant
24. [Legends of America — "Harvey Hotels & Restaurants Along the Rails" (Fred Harvey Company history, Harvey Girls, first chain-restaurant service system)](https://www.legendsofamerica.com/harvey-hotels-restaurants/), Legends of America
25. [Wikipedia — Fred Harvey (entrepreneur) (Harvey House history, 1876 founding, 45 restaurants by 1901)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Harvey_%28entrepreneur%29), Wikipedia
26. [HISTORY — "The Automat: Birth of a Fast Food Nation" (Horn & Hardart history, 1902 Philadelphia opening, peak at 80+ NYC locations)](https://www.history.com/articles/the-automat-birth-of-a-fast-food-nation), HISTORY
27. [Wikipedia — Horn & Hardart (Automat history, last NYC location closed April 9, 1991)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_&_Hardart), Wikipedia
28. [DOL — Fair Labor Standards Act of 1966 amendments (first extension of federal wage coverage to restaurant workers)](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa), US Department of Labor
29. [Wikipedia — OpenTable (1999 founding, first widespread digital restaurant reservation system)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenTable), Wikipedia
30. [Toast POS — "The Evolution of the Modern POS System" (history of restaurant POS from manual checks through digital terminals)](https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/modern-pos-history), Toast POS
31. [PR Newswire — "Chili's and Ziosk Complete Installation of Largest Tabletop Tablet Network in the US" (June 2014, 45,000 tablets, 823 restaurants)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chilis-and-ziosk-complete-installation-of-largest-tabletop-tablet-network-in-the-us-262381791.html), Ziosk / Brinker International (Chili's parent)
32. [Business Wire — "Ziosk Wraps Record Year with Tabletop Tablets Now Live across All Fifty States" (January 2015, 75,000 tablets, 1,350 restaurants)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150112005587/en/Ziosk-Wraps-Record-Year-with-Tabletop-Tablets-Now-Live-across-All-Fifty-States), Ziosk
33. [Harvard Business School RCTOM — "Ziosk: Digitalizing the Fast-Casual Restaurant Experience" (Ziosk adoption, tip increase, dessert sales data)](https://aiinstitute.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/submission/ziosk-digitalizing-the-fast-casual-restaurant-experience/), Harvard Business School Technology and Operations Management
34. [Toast POS — "Toast Handheld POS Systems Help Servers Take 46 Minutes Off Their Table Turn Time" (Toast Go adoption case studies)](https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/handheld-pos-systems), Toast POS
35. [National Restaurant Association — "QR code menu adoption: 60%+ of restaurants kept QR menus permanently after pandemic restrictions" (2021-2022 survey)](https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/media/press-releases/100,000-restaurants-closed-six-months-into-pandemic/), National Restaurant Association
36. [Restaurant Business Online — "How the coronavirus is reshaping ordering and payment" (QR code and contactless payment adoption during COVID)](https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/how-coronavirus-reshaping-ordering-payment), Restaurant Business Online
37. [Toast POS — "60 Restaurant Industry Statistics and Trends for Restaurant Owners in 2026" (AI analytics adoption, 95% of restaurateurs see technology as business booster)](https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/restaurant-management-statistics), Toast POS

### Forecasts and exposure studies

38. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 35-3031 Waiters and waitresses (2025: 2,284.4 thousand; 2035: 2,330.9 thousand; +2.0%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=35-3031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
39. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 35-3031 Waiters and Waitresses: probability 0.94, rank 592 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
40. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 35-3031.00, human-rated β 0.224)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

41. [Delmonico's — "The History of Delmonico's" (1837 opening, first à la carte menu, professional service staff)](https://www.theoriginaldelmonicos.com/our-history/), Delmonico's Restaurant
42. [Legends of America — "Harvey Hotels & Restaurants Along the Rails" (1883 female replacement of male waiters, Harvey Girl selection criteria)](https://www.legendsofamerica.com/harvey-hotels-restaurants/), Legends of America
43. [HISTORY — "The Automat: Birth of a Fast Food Nation" (Horn & Hardart 1902 founding, peak at 80+ NYC locations)](https://www.history.com/articles/the-automat-birth-of-a-fast-food-nation), HISTORY
44. [Center for Economic and Policy Research — "The Tipped Minimum Wage Has Been $2.13 Since 1991" (1966 FLSA amendments, 1991 freeze, 1996 permanent severance)](https://cepr.net/publications/tipped-minimum-wage/), Center for Economic and Policy Research
45. [PR Newswire — "Chili's and Ziosk Complete Installation of Largest Tabletop Tablet Network in the US" (June 2014: 45,000 tablets, 823 restaurants)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chilis-and-ziosk-complete-installation-of-largest-tabletop-tablet-network-in-the-us-262381791.html), Ziosk / Brinker International
46. [CNN Business — "McDonald's touchscreen kiosks were feared as job killers. Instead, something surprising happened" (September 2024, documenting 2016-2020 kiosk rollout and employment outcomes)](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/20/business/self-service-kiosks-mcdonalds-shake-shack/index.html), CNN Business
47. [National Restaurant Association — "100,000 Restaurants Closed Six Months into Pandemic" (September 2020); BLS food-service employment trough data (April 2020)](https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/media/press-releases/100,000-restaurants-closed-six-months-into-pandemic/), National Restaurant Association
48. [Chef's Pencil — "Employment Trends: Cooks, Chefs, Serving Jobs" (23% wage growth 2019-2022 for servers; post-COVID labor shortage context)](https://www.chefspencil.com/employment-trends-cooks-chefs-serving-jobs/), Chef's Pencil / BLS
49. [O\*NET 35-3031.00 — BLS Occupational Outlook 2024-34 (-1% projected change; 456,700 annual openings; $16.23/hr median cash wage)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/35-3031.00), O\*NET / Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

50. [Britannica — "Delmonico's Restaurant" (Delmonico's established the first professional restaurant-service role, distinct from tavern service)](https://www.britannica.com/place/Delmonicos-Restaurant), Encyclopaedia Britannica
51. [Legends of America — "Harvey Hotels & Restaurants Along the Rails" (Harvey Girl recruitment and training system)](https://www.legendsofamerica.com/harvey-hotels-restaurants/), Legends of America
52. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Waiters and Waitresses (entry-level role, Job Zone 1-2, no formal education requirement)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/waiters-and-waitresses.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Waiters and Waitresses: -1% projected decline 2024-2034; 2.3M jobs; $16.23/hr median (May 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/waiters-and-waitresses.htm), accessed 2026-05-30
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): food-service workers in lowest LLM-exposure tiers](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-30
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Waiters and Waitresses (35-3031.00): tasks, technology skills, work context](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/35-3031.00), accessed 2026-05-30
- [National Restaurant Association "State of the Restaurant Industry 2025" — 25%+ operators use AI; 69% report automation improves productivity](https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/research-reports/state-of-the-industry/), accessed 2026-05-30
- [Toast — ToastIQ launch May 2025: AI intelligence engine with Digital Chits delivering guest history to server handhelds](https://pos.toasttab.com/news/toast-launches-toastiq-superpower-future-of-restaurants), accessed 2026-05-30
- [McKinsey Global Institute "Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained" (2023 update) — food-service workers among hardest automation targets: physical + social interaction combination](https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/jobs-lost-jobs-gained-what-the-future-of-work-will-mean-for-jobs-skills-and-wages), accessed 2026-05-30
- [Toast — Toast Go® 3: tableside payment processing with contactless and digital wallet support (2025)](https://pos.toasttab.com/news/new-toast-go-3-handheld-with-cellular-connectivity-toastiq), accessed 2026-05-30
- [Bear Robotics — Servi Plus: handles food transport and bus tub clearing; deploys in tight restaurant spaces with real-time obstacle avoidance (2025)](https://www.bearrobotics.ai/servi-plus), accessed 2026-05-30

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.