In the restaurant business how does business run with tips, wages, etc?

I'm about to make a career change into the restaurant industry as a server for the first time. I've been doing office work as a means for income for a couple years now and its nice to have a steady income off of biweekly paychecks. I've been told you can make decent money as a server, but on average how much do servers usually make if one worked about 20-25 hrs a week, and also how does the tipping work...is it normal to tip out the host/hostess, busboys, etc.? Also, do you report your tips to the restaurant or keep that to yourself? I support myself so I need to make sure I can pay my rent, haha.

Tipping is the main thing, and it varies from restaurant to restaurant. The more high-end the restaurant is, the better tips you'll make, obviously. Each place does it differently however, so you have to ask at each place you're applying to.

Everywhere is different, where I worked we tipped out the food runner on the weekends but that was the only person we tipped out. I was able to make $10-12 an hour at a chain restuarant. You are supposed to claim all of your tips but many of the ladies I worked with just made sure that they claimed enough to cover what would equal to minimum wage because the restuarant only paid the servers half of minimum and had to make up the difference if the server didn't make enough in tips.

it depends on the restuarant. where i work, we have to tip out the host/hostess and busboys. we also have to report our tips to the restuarant. i work at Outback Steakhouse by the way.