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Table games
Casino Dealer
Eight weeks of school, and your income is the room's mood.
Typical pay
$30k-$70k including tips
How you get in
Dealing school, 4-12 weeks, plus a gaming license
Outlook
Steady in gaming markets; tied to tourism
Dealers run table games, handle chips and manage the pace and etiquette of play. Training is short and cheap; income is heavily tip-dependent, which means the property and the shift matter more than your skill.
A day in the life
- 5:45pClock in, check the table assignment rotation
- 6:00pFirst table — deal, pay, take, repeat
- 7:00pTwenty-minute break, then a new table
- 10:00pPeak — the room fills and the pace doubles
- 1:00aSlower tables, difficult players
- 2:00aChip count, drop the box, tip pool split
How to get in
Dealing school
Duration
4-12 weeks
Cost
$500-$3,000
Credential
State gaming license plus game certifications
- Complete a dealing school for one or two games — blackjack is the usual first
- Audition at a property; they test your mechanics and your demeanor
- Get your state gaming license after a background check
- Add games over time — craps and baccarat dealers earn the most
Casino-run training
Duration
6-12 weeks
Cost
$0 — the property trains you
Credential
Gaming license
- Apply to a casino that runs its own dealer school, common in expanding markets
- Complete their training and audition
- Get licensed and start on the least desirable shifts
- Bid to better shifts and higher-limit tables as you gain seniority
Dealer into supervision
Duration
3-7 years
Cost
$0
Credential
Gaming license plus supervisory approval
- Master multiple games and build a clean record
- Move to dual-rate, then floor supervisor or pit boss
- Trade tip income for a salary and predictable hours
- Path continues into casino operations management
What people love
- · Dealing school takes weeks, not years
- · Tips can substantially exceed the base wage
- · Genuinely social work
- · Skills transfer to any casino market worldwide
What wears people down
- · Nights, weekends and holidays permanently
- · Income swings with the property and the crowd
- · Losing players take it out on the dealer
- · Repetitive strain on hands, wrists and back