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The differences between bartender servers and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a bartender server has an average salary of $32,591, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.
The top three skills for a bartender server include bartending, POS and non-alcoholic beverages. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.
| Bartender Server | Food Runner | |
| Yearly salary | $32,591 | $25,536 |
| Hourly rate | $15.67 | $12.28 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 106,784 | 240,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 34 | 23 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Bartender servers are employees who work in the restaurant's bar area. They are responsible for assembling customers' drink orders and serving these to customers. They should be sound drink mixers and must be familiar with cocktail combinations and other mixes. They should also know the ingredients of the restaurant's drinks and should be able to use alternatives should specific components be unavailable. Some bartender servers engage in flairtending, a way of mixing drinks that entertains the guests waiting for their drinks.
Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen. Furthermore, Food Runners need to ensure that all deliveries are accurate according to what is ordered by a customer. It is essential to stay presentable and helpful at all times as the main priority is customer satisfaction.
Bartender servers and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bartender Server | Food Runner | |
| Average salary | $32,591 | $25,536 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $46,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Edmonds, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Earth Fare | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a bartender server and a food runner in terms of educational background:
| Bartender Server | Food Runner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between bartender servers' and food runners' demographics:
| Bartender Server | Food Runner | |
| Average age | 34 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.8% Female, 66.2% | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |