Why dont people that work minimum wage jobs just go wait tables instead?

[dullard]

Originally posted by: miri
Dunno, maybe $8-15 a hour?

Probably pretty accurate. However they never report all tips. Thus the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says here:

"In 2002, median hourly earnings (including tips) of waiters and waitresses were $6.80. The middle 50 percent earned between $6.13 and $8.00."

 

[Icanoutsmokeany1]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Ok then, so how much do you think the average waiter makes after tips at your local neighborhood applebees or small restaurant?

My best friend Nick waits at the Ihop in Escondido 3 nights a week (Fri, Sat, Sun)

He makes about 100 in tips a night and averages 450 a week from his 3 nights of work after wages/tips are calc'd.

I must say, Nick Jilka is better than any female waitress I've known and he does his thign quite well.

 

[MustangSVT]

because of NIK.

 

[DnetMHZ]

NJ min. wage goes up to $6.15 on October 1

 

[GregGreen]

Originally posted by: miri
I mean waiting tables is still not a very good job but in most cases it beats $5.15 a hour.

the federal minimum wage went up to 6$ in june! will go to 6.75 next year and 7.15 the next year after that

 

[Willoughbyva]

I think at the local Dennys the wage is $2.76 an hour plus tips. The people working 10:00 to 6:00 get paid min. wage plus tips, butit is usually very quiet at that time of day.

 

[eakers]

I know a girl who works as a shooter girl. She works thursday and saturday nights and pulls in $450/week.. tax free, all in tips.

This is at a country bar, I can only imagine if she worked at a strip club.

 

[Willoughbyva]

Originally posted by: GregGreen

Originally posted by: miri
I mean waiting tables is still not a very good job but in most cases it beats $5.15 a hour.

the federal minimum wage went up to 6$ in june! will go to 6.75 next year and 7.15 the next year after that

As far as I know the federal minimum wage hasn't changed. Still like $5.15 or $5.35 or whatever it was/is.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: eakers
I know a girl who works as a shooter girl. She works thursday and saturday nights and pulls in $450/week.. tax free, all in tips.

This is at a country bar, I can only imagine if she worked at a strip club.

Tips are suppose to be taxed...everyone underreports them but they are suppose to be taxed.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: dullard
Because those jobs are taken already.

Exactly!

miri, have you ever had a waiting job anyways. Restaurants are looking for mid to upper middle class young adults to do that work because it attracts the most amount of people eating there, unless you live in a big city and then the jobs are a dime a dozen but hard manual labor. No poor person unless he/she is eloquent and charming is going to get a waiting job ina small city or suburb. Most go to people who "look the part". And if they wait table in a poor part of the city only place they "look the part", it isn't like they are going to make much more than minimum wage.

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: dullard
Because those jobs are taken already.

Exactly!

miri, have you ever had a waiting job anyways. Restaurants are looking for mid to upper middle class young adults to do that work because it attracts the most amount of people eating there, unless you live in a big city and then the jobs are a dime a dozen but hard manual labor. No poor person unless he/she is eloquent and charming is going to get a waiting job ina small city or suburb. Most go to people who "look the part".

You can start out in diners or pancake houses.

 

[PingSpike]

I dunno...around here I'd say at any given time half of all restaurants are hiring.

 

[DaShen]

Those jobs are hard to come by BTW everyone from the college student, high school student, and just out-of-school kids ... are going for those jobs.

The only place that poor people can wait tables more than the group that I just mentioned are in poor neighborhood, where they won't make more than minimum wage anyways.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I dunno...around here I'd say at any given time half of all restaurants are hiring.

But the managers look for a specific look and attitude that will attract paying customers (highest market is mid0class families). You bring someone from the ghetto to wait tables at a restaurant catered to mid-class families, they better clean up nice and be charming. Just a matter of fact.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Yes being a waiter pays more than minimum wage. I could get like 13-15 dollars an hour if i decided to waiter again.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Yes being a waiter pays more than minimum wage. I could get like 13-15 dollars an hour if i decided to waiter again.

It can pay a lot in affluent neighborhoods, but I guarantee it doesn't in poor neighborhoods.

 

[sixone]

Originally posted by: miri
I mean waiting tables is still not a very good job but in most cases it beats $5.15 a hour.

"No bread? Let them eat cake!"

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I dunno...around here I'd say at any given time half of all restaurants are hiring.

But the managers look for a specific look and attitude that will attract paying customers (highest market is mid0class families). You bring someone from the ghetto to wait tables at a restaurant catered to mid-class families, they better clean up nice and be charming. Just a matter of fact.

How is that different from any other job that involves contact with the public in existence?

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Yes being a waiter pays more than minimum wage. I could get like 13-15 dollars an hour if i decided to waiter again.

It can pay a lot in affluent neighborhoods, but I guarantee it doesn't in poor neighborhoods.

Well i worked as a waiter in a country club were you learn proper restaurant techniques.
Not like the waiters at Fridays or Chilis

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I dunno...around here I'd say at any given time half of all restaurants are hiring.

But the managers look for a specific look and attitude that will attract paying customers (highest market is mid0class families). You bring someone from the ghetto to wait tables at a restaurant catered to mid-class families, they better clean up nice and be charming. Just a matter of fact.

How is that different from any other job that involves contact with the public in existence?

It doesn't, that is part of the reason why I respect any really poor person who can work his way out of the situation. Even if they go for a minimum wage job. A lot of them are able to work at places like Walmart or other chain stores that don't need to cater to mainly JUST the mid class families. But it is annoying for people to judge someone who works for a living, just because they don't make as much.

If someone from my neighborhood started working for minimum wage after high school, that would be different because their potential is higher, but for a poor person it takes a lot more work to get past that barrier. The people who do though, deserve a lot of respect IMHO.

This doesn't give the poor person who is making minimum wage the right to rely on federal aid for a long time either. Most of those people are lazy bastards. The federal aid was made to allow the person time and a chance to clean up so they could get better jobs and work their way up. But the ones who are working as hard as they can and supporting a family need respect just as much as anyone else. It is a dis-service to them to do otherwise. I have worked with people who are scraping by and are working hard to build there future while I was working to pay my way through college. It isn't like they aren't working hard, it is just that they don't have many opportunities. Managers will not hire them. It isn't the managers fault, they are protecting their profits.