Bus boy vs busser

The differences between bus boys and bussers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a bus boy has an average salary of $24,432, which is higher than the $24,111 average annual salary of a busser.

The top three skills for a bus boy include customer service, clean tables and dishwashers. The most important skills for a busser are cleanliness, work ethic, and TIP.

Bus boy vs busser overview

	Bus Boy	Busser
Yearly salary	$24,432	$24,111
Hourly rate	$11.75	$11.59
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	17,550	14,989
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a bus boy do?

The job of busboys is to assist other staff members at a restaurant by doing varied tasks. These include greeting customers, cleaning and resetting tables, and removing dishes after customers leave. Other tasks include cleaning furniture, fixtures, and kitchen equipment, and tidying up any spills and mopping the floors. Busboys are also responsible for ensuring the availability of clean dining materials such as flatware and glasses. The requirements needed for this role may include a high school diploma, previous work experience, and excellent communication and customer service skills.

What does a busser do?

Busser, also known as dining room attendants or bartender helpers, is an entry-level position in the restaurant and dining industry. The bussers help in preparing the dining areas before guests arrive and decorating tables with a set of candles, napkins, linens, flowers, or other ornaments, especially if with a special theme for the day, usually when it's a national celebration or holidays. Also, they assist in cleaning the tables, clearing plates, used utensils, drinkware, and other dishes to the kitchen to be washed, refilling diners' glasses with water, and make the tables ready for the next set of service.

Bus boy vs busser salary

Bus boys and bussers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bus Boy	Busser
Average salary	$24,432	$24,111
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $36,000	Between $17,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	Allen, TX	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Maine	Maine
Best paying company	Las Fajitas Restaurant	Dell
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Hospitality

Differences between bus boy and busser education

There are a few differences between a bus boy and a busser in terms of educational background:

	Bus Boy	Busser
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bus boy vs busser demographics

Here are the differences between bus boys' and bussers' demographics:

	Bus Boy	Busser
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 7.1% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between bus boy and busser duties and responsibilities

Bus boy example responsibilities.

Record amount and types of special food items serve to patients.
Prepare and serve meals on a daily basis, noting any allergies or other dietary issues.
Work in a fast pace demanding environment providing assistance in the hospital cafeteria with food preparation for patients and visitors.
Be instrumental in a positive workplace environment with professional appearance and cleanliness, punctuality, and uplifting attitude towards personnel and staff
General dishwasher duties, some basic prep work, and help with the general nightly closing duties throughout the kitchen.
Take all dirty plates and utensils to the dishwasher, and bring out clean ones to the front of the lobby.

Busser example responsibilities.

Cross-Train in all kitchen culinary positions including broiler, saut, banquets and room service food production.
Perform food preparation and serving duties, such as carving meat, preparing flambe dishes, or serving wine and liquor.
Schedule reservations and place and deliver room service orders.
Maintain both FOH and BOH duties in a fast-pace dining establishment.
Clean the dirty tables and make sure the restaurant are in tip top shape and look good.
Submit food and beverage orders to kitchen staff utilizing a POS register to tabulate and itemize orders.

Bus boy vs busser skills

Common bus boy skills

Customer Service, 34%
Clean Tables, 17%
Dishwashers, 13%
Bus Tables, 10%
Clean Linen, 4%
Ice Water, 3%

Common busser skills

Cleanliness, 24%
Work Ethic, 9%
TIP, 8%
Food Handling, 5%
Dishwashers, 5%
Bus Tables, 4%

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Bus Boy vs Busser

Updated January 8, 2025

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