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The differences between bartender servers and line 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 $28,300 average annual salary of a line server.
The top three skills for a bartender server include bartending, POS and non-alcoholic beverages. The most important skills for a line server are customer service, quality customer service, and exceptional guest.
| Bartender Server | Line Server | |
| Yearly salary | $32,591 | $28,300 |
| Hourly rate | $15.67 | $13.61 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 106,784 | 246,165 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| 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.
A line server is responsible for assisting the guests with their needs to ensure an overall satisfying dining experience with the highest quality service. Line servers take and verify guests' orders, provide recommendation for orders, respond to the guests' inquiries regarding the menu, manage the food preparation and serving, assist guests with additional requests, and ensure strict adherence to the sanitary standards and hygienic procedures at all times. Line servers must have excellent communication and time-management skills to interact with different guests and identify their dining needs.
Bartender servers and line servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bartender Server | Line Server | |
| Average salary | $32,591 | $28,300 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $46,000 | Between $21,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Edmonds, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Earth Fare | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a bartender server and a line server in terms of educational background:
| Bartender Server | Line Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between bartender servers' and line servers' demographics:
| Bartender Server | Line Server | |
| Average age | 34 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.8% Female, 66.2% | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% |
| 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% |