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The differences between cafe servers and baristas can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a barista has an average salary of $29,528, which is higher than the $26,967 average annual salary of a cafe server.
The top three skills for a cafe server include cleanliness, support tasks and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a barista are cash handling, food products, and punctuality.
| Cafe Server | Barista | |
| Yearly salary | $26,967 | $29,528 |
| Hourly rate | $12.96 | $14.20 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 188,740 | 93,290 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A cafe server is responsible for serving customer orders, ensuring timeliness and efficiency. In some establishments, they are the first to greet the customers, taking their orders courteously and professionally. They also assist by answering inquiries, offering products and other services, and solving issues and concerns if there is any to ensure customer satisfaction. They coordinate directly with kitchen staff to prepare orders and relay particular requests. Moreover, a cafe server also maintains the cleanliness of different areas and prepares tables for new customers.
Baristas are employees who work on assembling drinks available in the restaurant cafe. They are expected to be familiar with the menu offerings related to non-alcoholic beverages, such as coffee, tea, or chocolate, available in the restaurant. They are also expected to be familiar with the ingredients needed to make such drinks. They are in charge of managing the inventory and ensuring that the ingredients needed are readily available. Baristas are also expected to be able to make drinks in a quick yet accurate manner.
Cafe servers and baristas have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cafe Server | Barista | |
| Average salary | $26,967 | $29,528 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $35,000 | Between $22,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | - | Maine |
| Best paying company | - | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a cafe server and a barista in terms of educational background:
| Cafe Server | Barista | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cafe servers' and baristas' demographics:
| Cafe Server | Barista | |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |