Banquet waiter/waitress vs caterer

The differences between banquet waiter/waitresses and caterers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a caterer has an average salary of $28,891, which is higher than the $27,386 average annual salary of a banquet waiter/waitress.

The top three skills for a banquet waiter/waitress include food handling, cleanliness and customer service. The most important skills for a caterer are food service, kitchen equipment, and food delivery.

Banquet waiter/waitress vs caterer overview

	Banquet Waiter/Waitress	Caterer
Yearly salary	$27,386	$28,891
Hourly rate	$13.17	$13.89
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	15,365	1,648
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	28	37
Years of experience	-	-

Banquet waiter/waitress vs caterer salary

Banquet waiter/waitresses and caterers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Banquet Waiter/Waitress	Caterer
Average salary	$27,386	$28,891
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $37,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Beverly, MA
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	The College of St. Scholastica
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between banquet waiter/waitress and caterer education

There are a few differences between a banquet waiter/waitress and a caterer in terms of educational background:

	Banquet Waiter/Waitress	Caterer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Banquet waiter/waitress vs caterer demographics

Here are the differences between banquet waiter/waitresses' and caterers' demographics:

	Banquet Waiter/Waitress	Caterer
Average age	28	37
Gender ratio	Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3%	Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	10%

Differences between banquet waiter/waitress and caterer duties and responsibilities

Banquet waiter/waitress example responsibilities.

Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
Start bartending for a short period of time here as well.
Maintain cleanliness of work area (before, during, and end of work period).
Specialize in individual service techniques including French, Russian, family style, buffets and plait.
Set up and tear down all cater functions, such as wedding, conferences and buffets.
Recommend and present numerous champagne and wine selections while providing excellent bottle service.

Caterer example responsibilities.

Help serve foods from buffet to ADM employees.
Plan and prepare meals for the local Headstart program.
Set up's and breaking down of parties, service, bartending
Set up tables, action stations, buffets, service carts, dessert table/carts and cordial carts.
Serve and wait on diners in traditional sit-down meal settings as well as buffets and drink bars.
Perform bartending for many events, often individually.

Banquet waiter/waitress vs caterer skills

Common banquet waiter/waitress skills

Food Handling, 50%
Cleanliness, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Banquet Events, 6%
Food Service, 4%
Buffets, 3%

Common caterer skills

Food Service, 28%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Delivery, 8%
Banquet Service, 7%
Bartending, 5%
Fine Dining, 4%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Banquet Waiter/Waitress
Banquet Waiter/Waitress vs Caterer

Updated January 8, 2025

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