While you are researching restaurant jobs, you may have wondered about the question “how much does Red Lobster pay an hour” in order to help guide you in picking out the right company to work for.

The following information will provide you with:

• Starting pay at Red Lobster
• Average pay and salaries
• When you get your paycheck
• Does Red Lobster give every employee a raise?
• Full-time hours
• Part-time
• Shifts you may work
• Sick leave policy
• Breaks

Red Lobster Starting Pay

The typical starting pay at Red Lobster for non-tipped entry-level employees such as host, busser, or dishwasher is between $11 and $12 an hour unless you live in a state with a higher minimum wage.

Positions that require more experience will command a higher starting salary, based on your work experience.

Red Lobster Server Pay

A server makes more or less $15.96 an hour, and this includes tip money. This amounts to $638 a week and a yearly salary of $33,196.

The servers at Red Lobster have the most important job in the restaurant. They are in charge of keeping guests happy and entertained while they wait for their food to arrive. A server is responsible for answering questions, providing beverages, and taking orders from guests.

Red Lobster Server Assistant Pay

The Red Lobster pay rate for a server assistant is $13.33 an hour. That’s $533 a week and $27,726 yearly if you work full-time throughout the year.

The Red Lobster server assistant will be responsible for greeting guests, taking orders, delivering food, and providing excellent customer service. They will also be required to work in a team environment with other servers and hosts to provide an exceptional dining experience.

Red Lobster Host Pay

The pay at Red Lobster for the host position is $12.04 an hour, on average. That would mean about $481 a week and a yearly salary of $25,043.

This position is responsible for greeting guests, taking their orders, and delivering food to their tables. They also need to be able to multitask and interact with guests in a friendly manner.

Red Lobster Busser Pay

The Red Lobster hourly pay for a busser is about $13.53 an hour. This amounts to $541 a week and $28,142 yearly.

Bussers are responsible for delivering food and clearing tables. These workers are constantly in motion, making sure food and drinks are received promptly and efficiently.

Additionally, management may task them with occasionally helping out with cleaning the restrooms as well as keeping the restaurant clean and well-maintained.

Red Lobster Dishwasher Pay

A dishwasher at Red Lobster makes an average of $13.24 an hour. This means you can make somewhere around $529 a week and a yearly salary of $27,539.

The position of a dishwasher at Red Lobster is one that requires a lot of physical labor, as well as the ability to multitask. A high-energy individual with a positive attitude and willingness to learn new skills is essential for this position.

The dishwasher must be able to work in all areas of the restaurant, including the kitchen, dining room, and bar area. He or she must also be able to work on his or her feet for long periods of time.

Dishwashers are responsible for cleaning all types of dishes in the restaurant’s steam table and food prep area, as well as cleaning and sanitizing equipment such as pots and pans.

Red Lobster Prep Cook Pay

A prep cook at this restaurant makes around $14.04 an hour. This amounts to $561 a week for the yearly salary of $29,203.

The Red Lobster Prep Cook is a key member of the team and will be responsible for preparing the food for guests. This person will be expected to work in a fast-paced environment, which means that they will need to have excellent time management skills.

The job also requires good customer service skills, as this person will be serving guests in the dining room.

Red Lobster Cook Pay

Red Lobster hourly pay for a cook is approximately $14.51 an hour. This translates into $580 a week and $30,180 in yearly salary.

The Red Lobster cook prepares food and beverages in a professional, timely, and efficient manner. It includes all the duties associated with the position of cooking at the restaurant. This includes preparing appetizers, entrées, desserts, drinks, and clearing tables.

Red Lobster Bartender Pay

Bartender at Red Lobster earns approximately $15.13 an hour. This figure includes tips earned on a daily basis. This amounts to a weekly salary of $605 and $31,470 a year.

A bartender at Red Lobster is responsible for providing excellent service to guests and making sure that everyone who walks through the door feels like they are having a great time. They are also responsible for maintaining all bar tools, including preparing drinks and garnishes, making sure there’s enough ice and water, and cleaning up after themselves when they finish working.

Restaurant Management Jobs

Assistant Manager Salary

Assistant managers make $51,350 a year, and this does not include up to $5,800 in potential bonuses.

The Red Lobster Assistant Manager will be responsible for running the daily operations of the restaurant. This includes managing the front of house, sales, marketing, food and beverage service, and other related duties.

The position also requires a high level of creativity and innovation.

General Manager Salary

General managers make an average of $72,925 a year. They also qualify for up to $11,500 in yearly bonuses.

The general manager of Red Lobster is the restaurant’s leader that manages the front and back of house staff and is responsible for creating a positive guest experience. This means that they are responsible for managing employees who are in charge of customer service and food quality.

See more Red Lobster job descriptions.

Does Red Lobster pay weekly?

Yes, Red Lobster pays its employees weekly and the pay period begins on Sunday and ends on a Saturday. Then, you get paid on the following Thursday or Friday, every week.

Keep in mind, for tipped employees such as servers and bartenders, tips are collected daily. This is an advantage for people who like to have a steady stream of cash flow, usually based on how hard they work on any given day.

Red Lobster Pay Raises

It is reported that servers have a very tough time getting a raise at Red Lobster. This is far from being a fair practice.

Many restaurants rarely give servers a pay raise, and this only leads to disgruntled employees. The only thing that saves this company’s reputation in this area is that servers generally get paid pretty well when they work hard.

Other employees say they qualify for a 1% to 3% pay raise once a year.

Red Lobster Full-time hours

Full-time workers at Red Lobster get between 30 and 40 hours of work every week, on average.

If you want more hours, make yourself available by letting management know you are interested in filling in for workers who call out sick.

Part-time Hours

Part-time hours at Red Lobster are typically 20 to 25 hours a week. Managers at this restaurant are usually flexible and if you need fewer hours of work every week because you’re working another job somewhere, they will likely work around your schedule.

Shift Hours

Quite a few shifts are available, depending on the store’s location.

Some examples of common shifts are:

• 10 AM to 6:30 PM
• 10 AM to 3 PM
• 11 AM to 4 PM
• 11 AM to 5 PM
• 12 PM to 4 PM
• 12 PM to 5 PM
• 4 PM to 9 PM
• 4 PM to Closing

Red Lobster Sick Leave

Hourly employees report there is no paid time off available at Red Lobster. If you call out sick, give your manager plenty of advance notice.

Some employees say managers will occasionally ask you to bring a doctor’s note after you call out sick. This practice is typically carried out by management when an employee appears to be taking too many sick days.

Break Policy

Even in states where breaks are not mandatory, Red Lobster gives its hourly employees adequate paid breaks during their shifts.

It’s important to remain in contact with your management staff when it comes to planning and taking breaks.

Featured image courtesy of N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.