As a server, you spend your time handling customer relations, organizing bills and orders, delivering food, selling the items the kitchen requests, and engaging customers to ensure quality service. You also know the difficulty of performing this job. As a physically demanding job with often lower wages, many servers face financial instability, physical and emotional fatigue, strained muscles, joint and back issues, and more. These factors lead many servers to quit and transition into a new career. A career change for a waiter often means moving industries altogether, but some jobs in hospitality could still appeal to you. Check out these in-demand, well-paying alternative careers for servers to start thinking about your career transition.
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Salary Range: Pay for pharmaceutical sales representatives ranges from $30,00 to over $134,00, with an average of $91,977.
Job Growth: 16.4 percent (much faster than average)
Try a career as a pharmaceutical sales representative for flexible, remote, and challenging work. With this job, you get to travel around a region and interact with a variety of different people. You need to use your communication and interpersonal skills to get access to physicians and specialists. Tell doctors about medications and offer free samples and information.
Transferable Skills:
- Oral expression
- Relationship-building skills
- Initiative
- Problem-solving skills
- Oral comprehension
Caregiver
Salary Range: The salary range for a caregiver goes from $20,130 to $36,900, with a median of $27,080.
Job Growth: 33 percent (much faster than average)
As a server, you know how to work in physically demanding jobs for long hours while keeping a good attitude. Use those skills and demeanor for a job as a caregiver. In this role, you will help the elderly with basic tasks, such as getting dressed, engaging in light housekeeping, cooking, and providing companionship. Many companies provide on-the-job training.
Transferable Skills:
- Interpersonal skills
- Integrity
- Crisis management
- Time management
- Multitasking
Legal Assistant
Salary Range: Legal assistants make a salary from under $32,900 a year to over $85,160 a year, with a median of $52,920.
Job Growth: 12 percent (faster than average)
Take your client-facing skills into the legal field as a legal assistant. Work with attorneys to gather evidence, review documents, organize a filing system, and prepare for trial. Interact with clients regularly over the telephone and email. File pleadings with the court and conduct research for attorneys.
Transferable Skills:
- Deductive reasoning
- Time sharing
- Oral expression
- Oral comprehension
- Selective attention
Real Estate Agent
Salary Range: Annual salaries for real estate agents range between $25,100 and $112,410, with a median of $49,040.
Job Growth: 4 percent (slower than average)
Parlay your sales and marketing skills from the restaurant industry into a career as a real estate agent. This job lets you set your work hours, and you can work from home. Meet clients and help them find and sell their homes. Determine prices for homes, and negotiate with sellers
Transferable Skills:
- Oral expression
- Sales
- Mediation skills
- Customer services skills
- Organizational skills
Software Sales Representative
Salary Range: The salary range for a software sales representative is between under $60,730 and over $184,190, with a median of $108.830.
Job Growth: 8 percent (as fast as average)
Take the technical skills you learn from operating industry software along with your communication skills to leverage a career as a software sales representative. Learn in-depth about the technical aspects of the software. Show potential clients how to use the software and the value it adds to their business.
Transferable Skills:
- Oral expression
- Sales skills
- Technical competency
- Emotional intelligence
- Active listening skills
Account Manager
Salary Range: The salary for a business account manager is between under $63,170 and over $208,000, with a median of $132, 290.
Job Growth: 7 percent (as fast as average)
Use your customer service knowledge and business acumen to start a career as an account manager. An account manager acts as a customer-facing liaison between more technical roles and the client. Your job is to make sure that clients get the attention they need, have regular contact, and dispel any problems clients have. Craft detailed plans to increase customers and improve retention.
Transferable Skills:
- Customer service skills
- Analytic skills
- Sales skills
- Marketing skills
- Multitasking Skills
Insurance Sales Agent
Salary Range: The annual salary for an insurance sales agent ranges from under $29,000 to over $127,840, with a median of $52,180.
Job Growth: 7 percent (as fast as average)
Utilize your sales skills in a career as an insurance sales agent. Find clients, explain products, and help clients plan for their futures. You need to fill out a lot of paperwork and make sure that you meet regulatory compliance in your work. You can set your hours and work from a home office. You can also choose from selling health insurance, life insurance, and other products.
Transferable Skills:
- Problem sensitivity
- Sales skills
- Oral expression
- Time sharing
- Speech recognition
Campaign Field Organizer
Salary Range: The salary range is from $17,000 to $53,000, with an average of $36,468. This can vary on the whether it is a state, local, or national race and part-time or full-time work.
Job Growth: Political campaigns need field organizers every election cycle in the more than 500,000 elected offices in the US.
Turn your interest in talking to people and sales into creating change by becoming a field organizer for a political campaign. Expect to conduct outreach for voter persuasion and to encourage people to get to the polls. Build relationships with people in the community to get more people involved in the campaign. Put on events and supervise interns and volunteers.
Transferable Skills:
- Oral expression
- Organizational skills
- Physical stamina
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving skills
Nutritionist
Salary Range: The annual salary ranges from under $39,840 to over $90,000, with a median salary of $63,090.
Job Growth: 11 percent (faster than average)
If you enjoy learning about the food that you serve with a special interest in health, then a career as a nutritionist could suit you. You may require training or a certificate degree in nutrition, depending on the market and your background. Help your clients choose meal plans that are healthy given their dietary requirements and work with their budgets. Use your creativity and food knowledge to create dish ideas.
Transferable Skills:
- Knowledge of nutrition
- Communication skills
- Creativity
- Organizational skills
- Sales skills
Training Specialist
Salary Range: The salary for a training specialist ranges from $33,900 to $107,060, with a median of $62,700.
Job Growth: 11 percent (faster than average)
Your communication skills and experience as a shift supervisor can set you up for a career as a training specialist. Teach employees of businesses how to interact with clients or specific techniques. Explain techniques, come up with creative role-plays, and encourage client relations.
Transferable Skills:
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Speech clarity
- Problem-solving skills
- Deductive reasoning
Pharmacy Technician
Salary Range: Pharmacy technicians make an annual salary from under $25,400 to over $50,430, with a median of $35,100.
Job Growth: 4 percent (slower than average)
Use your customer service skills for a healthcare career as a pharmacy technician. Greet customers and perform intake by inputting their information and prescription into the computer system. Organize and stock medicines. Liaise between the pharmacist and the customer. Some states require certification.
Transferable Skills:
- Teamwork
- Oral expression
- Active listening skills
- Physical stamina
- Near vision
Mediator
Salary Range: The annual salary for a mediator ranges from $38,330 to $131,210, with a median of $66,120.
Job Growth: 10 percent (as fast as average)
As a mediator, you will use your transferable skills to help different parties understand one another. Settle differences and disputes by helping parties understand one another and come to an amicable solution. You can even apply for this role within human resources.
Transferable Skills:
- Oral expression
- Oral clarity
- Analytic skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Time sharing
Flight Attendant
Salary Range: The annual salary of a flight attendant ranges from $30,930 to $84,790, with a median of $59,050.
Job Growth: 30 percent (much faster than average)
Engage your customer service skills with worldwide, national, or regional travel with a career as a flight attendant. Explain safety measures to airline passengers and maintain order. Sale add-ons and merchandise, manage emergencies with the passengers, prepare food, and serve food and drinks.
Transferable Skills:
- Crisis skills
- Oral expression
- Sales skills
- Customer service skills
- Physical stamina
Social Media Specialist
Salary Range: The salary for a social media specialist ranges from $35,350 to over $118,210, with a median of $62,810.
Job Growth: 11 percent (faster than average)
Many restaurants rely on in-house positions to help with their social media accounts. If you have experience managing your restaurant’s social media accounts, this could be a career for you. You will create professional posts, develop a marketing plan, analyze the target audience, and engage in brand management.
Transferable Skills:
- Social media skills
- Communication skills
- Creativity
- Interpersonal skills
- Decisive
Activities Coordinator
Salary Range: The annual salary for an activities coordinator ranges from $19,510 to over $46,510, with a median of $28,440.
Job Growth: 16 percent (much faster than average)
Take your interpersonal skills and organizational skills from events at the restaurant and put them to use as an activities coordinator. Create and manage events for kids, senior citizens, or businesses. Understand the needs and abilities of the people participating and find appropriate activities for them. Manage logistics and engage participants.
Transferable Skills:
- Organizational skills
- Event management skills
- Time sharing
- Physical stamina
- Oral expression
Volunteer Manager
Salary Range: The annual salary for a volunteer manager ranges from $42,230 to $115,800, with a median of $69,600.
Job Growth: 15 percent (faster than average)
Translate your skills in interacting with others and multitasking with a career as a volunteer manager. Manage volunteer programs for nonprofit and community organizations. Find ways to recruit volunteers to meet the needs of the organization. Develop an onboarding process and work across teams to find roles for volunteers.
Transferable Skills:
- Interpersonal skills
- Organizational skills
- Teamwork
- Communication skills
- Detailed-oriented
Recruiter
Salary Range: The annual salary for a human resource specialist is from under $37,710 to over $109,350, with a median of $63,490.
Job Growth: 10 percent (as fast as average)
Utilize your outgoing personality and interpersonal skills with a career as a recruiter. Network to find potential candidates to fill roles. Spend time getting to know prospective job candidates and employers to create an appropriate match. Sale candidates that you find on positions and work with you to find a new job.
Transferable Skills:
- Active listening skills
- Sales skills
- Oral expression
- Oral comprehension skills
- Deductive reasoning
Hotel Concierge
Salary Range: The median salary for a hotel concierge is $32,380.
Job Growth: 15 percent (much faster than average)
Easily transition your customer experience in the restaurant industry to the hotel industry as a concierge. Help hotel guests find activities to do, make reservations, and give guests an insight into the area. Arrange messages and deliveries for guests.
Transferable Skills:
- Oral comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Oral expression
- Customer service skills
- Time sharing
Data Scientist
Salary Range: The annual salary for a data scientist ranges from under $72,210 to over $194,430, with a median of $126,830.
Job Growth: 22 percent (much faster than average)
To be a server, you regularly use both your math skills and your tech skills. Turn your analytical skills into a career as a data scientist by taking a boot camp or other program to scale up your skills. Collect, clean, and analyze data to answer questions for organizations. Create reports and data visualizations.
Transferable Skills:
- Analytic skills
- Teamwork skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Time sharing
- Communication skills
Event Planner
Salary Range: The salary range for an event planner is from under $29,240 to over $88,360, with a median of $51,560.
Job Growth: 18 percent (much faster than average)
As a server, you often must prepare for events at the restaurant. Depending on your level of involvement in the process, you could transition into a career as an event planner. Coordinate events of different sizes for clients. Work with vendors and stay within your budget for the event.
Transferable Skills:
- Organizational skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Time sharing
- Teamwork
- Physical stamina
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries can I break into with my serving experience?
You can break into customer relations, marketing, business, and endless other industries.
What are the best jobs for former servers?
The best jobs for servers are ones that utilize transferable skills. These can include customer-related positions, sales positions, or office administration positions.
How to get out of waitressing?
It is time to get out when you think to yourself “I don’t want to be a waitress anymore.” Update your resume to highlight your transferable skills. Remember to use your interpersonal skills to network for a new job.
Final Thoughts
As with any industry or career transition, you may need to work on acquiring new skills to accompany your transferable skills for some jobs. Do this now before you leave your position as a server to get out for good.
