Yes, I work for tips, and yes, it’s a real job.

For as much as I complain about waiting tables, I have come to love my job. The fast paced environment, the coworkers I’ve come to call friends, and hey, the ability to pay my whole rent after working one busy weekend is a serious plus to the job. But one comment I heard today -- a question that I’ve been asked by several customers over the years that still bugs me to no end -- was, “What’s your real job?”

First of all, how is waiting tables not a real job? I bust my ass taking orders and running food. Even when I’m trying my best and going out of my way for customers, there is still no guarantee about the amount of money I will make on any given shift.

In New York alone, there are more than 155,000 food service workers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average hourly mean income for tipped food workers in the state also comes out to $14.41 an hour (significantly higher than the national minimum wage).

Nationally there are 2.4 million people who work as wait staff according to DATA USA. It’s not just a job for teens in the summer, and it’s not just a part time gig. The average age of wait staff in the US is 29-years-old. Unlike many other industries during this economic time, there is an estimated growth for the restaurant job market of 2.8 percent over the next 10 years.

Obviously, anytime I’ve been asked about the validity of my job I can’t call the customer out for being a total jerk (which they are). Would you ask a business man what his other job was? Would you tell the hairstylist her job isn’t real? My generic response to the rude question is usually a half-hearted smile and something about how serving pays the bills.

For me in particular, serving does more than just pay my rent and insurance though. Waiting tables has allowed me to go to college. Unlike most of my classmates, since I’m making payments on my student loans, I’m going to be saving a fortune on interest rates. Some years I’ve been able to pay as much as a third of the cost of a semester up front because I’m waiting tables. No "unreal" job does all that.

At the end of the day, any work you do can be considered a job. No one should feel like their job is more “real” than another’s.