Bar attendant vs waitstaff

The differences between bar attendants and waitstaffs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a waitstaff has an average salary of $25,104, which is higher than the $24,295 average annual salary of a bar attendant.

The top three skills for a bar attendant include cleanliness, front desk and quality standards. The most important skills for a waitstaff are food service, beverage orders, and culinary.

Bar attendant vs waitstaff overview

	Bar Attendant	Waitstaff
Yearly salary	$24,295	$25,104
Hourly rate	$11.68	$12.07
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	101,930	130,467
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	39	28
Years of experience	-	-

Bar attendant vs waitstaff salary

Bar attendants and waitstaffs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bar Attendant	Waitstaff
Average salary	$24,295	$25,104
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $31,000	Between $19,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Falmouth, MA
Highest paying state	Maine	Massachusetts
Best paying company	HEI Hotels & Resorts	Mayo Clinic
Best paying industry	Retail	Health Care

Differences between bar attendant and waitstaff education

There are a few differences between a bar attendant and a waitstaff in terms of educational background:

	Bar Attendant	Waitstaff
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bar attendant vs waitstaff demographics

Here are the differences between bar attendants' and waitstaffs' demographics:

	Bar Attendant	Waitstaff
Average age	39	28
Gender ratio	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%	Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between bar attendant and waitstaff duties and responsibilities

Bar attendant example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness and organization of designate work areas.
Maintain cleanliness, sanitation and organize assigned work areas.
Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
Set up the VIP area.
Check IDs.Security.Make judgment calls.handle bar responsibilities.greet guest in a professional respectable manner.handle and count money.

Waitstaff example responsibilities.

Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
Assist with stocking of pantry when groceries arrive.
Cater private events and perform light bartending duties.
Increase total restaurant sales by upselling specials and top-shelf liquors.
Work regularly on the pass as well as a waiter.
Offer meal suggestions base on diverse culinary repertoire and expert food knowledge.

Bar attendant vs waitstaff skills

Common bar attendant skills

Cleanliness, 25%
Front Desk, 16%
Quality Standards, 14%
Guest Satisfaction, 12%
Clean Tables, 6%
Cash Handling, 4%

Common waitstaff skills

Food Service, 23%
Beverage Orders, 19%
Culinary, 19%
Team Work, 16%
Meal Orders, 8%
Wine, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Bar Attendant
Bar Attendant vs Waitstaff

Updated January 8, 2025

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