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The differences between banquet servers and bartenders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a banquet server has an average salary of $29,017, which is higher than the $26,362 average annual salary of a bartender.
The top three skills for a banquet server include wine, cleanliness and food service. The most important skills for a bartender are wine, bartending, and exceptional guest.
| Banquet Server | Bartender | |
| Yearly salary | $29,017 | $26,362 |
| Hourly rate | $13.95 | $12.67 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 125,381 | 57,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.67 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 28 | 34 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A banquet server is responsible for assisting guests in food catering events. Banquet servers' duties include arranging tables as the client desires, preparing the catering setup, refilling foods and beverages, managing guests' inquiries and possible complaints, keeping the food area clean, and maintaining the highest sanitation standards for the guests' best banquet experience. A banquet server should have excellent communication and time-management skills, especially on serving guests that would require utmost care and safe handling.
A bartender is an expert in mixing and serving alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, either directly to customers at the bar or through waitstaff who place drink orders for dine-in or room customers. Bartenders should have a wide range of knowledge of drink recipes and be able to assess customers' needs and preferences to make recommendations. They should mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. They are also responsible for checking the customers' identification to ensure they are of legal drinking age and monitor the level of their intoxication.
Banquet servers and bartenders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Banquet Server | Bartender | |
| Average salary | $29,017 | $26,362 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $40,000 | Between $16,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Endicott College | OTTO |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a banquet server and a bartender in terms of educational background:
| Banquet Server | Bartender | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between banquet servers' and bartenders' demographics:
| Banquet Server | Bartender | |
| Average age | 28 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 3.7% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |