Graduated with Honors, Serving with Trays: When Your Fancy Degree Pays Less Than Waiting Tables
You did it! You suffered through the 120 credits, walked across the stage, shook hands with the dean, and received that impressive diploma. Four years of studying, crying, partying, and more crying were finally over! Based on what everyone told you, this was your golden ticket to a high-paying, dream job. Fast forward to today; you’re serving food to needy customers but raking in more cash than any entry-level position your degree could get you… Was college really worth it?
Like many others, this was my story. I graduated from a Big Ten university at the worst possible time—at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I received my “fancy” diploma digitally, from behind a computer screen, and was even less convinced that this piece of paper would open any doors, especially in a horrible job market. With a degree in child psychology, any entry-level job I could find was severely underpaid and/or I was severely overqualified. So, I decided to hit pause on “real life” and on finding a “real job.” Like many graduates that year, I took a different path—I moved to a city I had visited once and fell in love with, Austin, TX.
I felt anxious and somehow “behind” my peers. While they were climbing the corporate ladder, I decided to find a serving position in downtown Austin so that I would at least have a job. It was supposed to be a temporary decision because surely, I thought, I would soon find a perfect, high-paying job in my field. Little did I know, working at a high-end restaurant in a city would be anything but just scraping by.
As a recent graduate, I was earning an impressive $5,000 to $6,000 a month! Many of my friends were shocked when I shyly confessed my income, especially since they were working long hours in entry-level corporate jobs, making far less than I was.
With the high cost of tuition forcing most students into debt, more people are beginning to question whether a college degree is really worth it. Through working at various high-end restaurants, I’ve met career servers without degrees making significantly more than I do. They all seemed to have impressive skills in sales, customer retention, patience, attention to detail, etc. They’re also some of the most hard-working people I’ve ever met.
Financial success in the service industry does depend on certain factors like restaurant quality, location, and your personality. You need to find a top-tier spot if you want to make top-tier money. Plus, it helps to be somewhat funny, and/or hot. (Just kidding.) At the right place, though, it’s possible to earn a paycheck that rivals (or even beats) those in “professional” jobs—and without the burden of student loans.
While this may not have been where I thought my degree would lead, the tips, flexibility, and the thrill of a busy shift are paying my rent for now—one generous customer at a time! If nothing else, I’m becoming a pro at making awkward small talk and carrying plates without burning my hands.