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The differences between bartender servers and lead servers 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 $28,677 average annual salary of a lead server.
The top three skills for a bartender server include bartending, POS and non-alcoholic beverages. The most important skills for a lead server are customer service, new servers, and fine dining.
| Bartender Server | Lead Server | |
| Yearly salary | $32,591 | $28,677 |
| Hourly rate | $15.67 | $13.79 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 106,784 | 123,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 34 | 28 |
| 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.
A lead server is responsible for assisting the guests' needs, responding to their inquiries, and immediately addressing their dining concerns. Lead servers ensure the timely and accurate serving of orders, offering promotional menus and other additional services. Lead servers must have excellent communication skills to interact with the guests, as well as time-management and multitasking skills to perform duties in the fast-paced environment. They also help in developing strategic procedures and food menu recommendations by researching on the latest food trends in the industry to generate revenues and attract more customers.
Bartender servers and lead servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bartender Server | Lead Server | |
| Average salary | $32,591 | $28,677 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $46,000 | Between $11,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Edmonds, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Earth Fare | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a bartender server and a lead server in terms of educational background:
| Bartender Server | Lead Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between bartender servers' and lead servers' demographics:
| Bartender Server | Lead Server | |
| Average age | 34 | 28 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.8% Female, 66.2% | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |