Cafe server vs food counter worker

The differences between cafe servers and food counter workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cafe server has an average salary of $26,967, which is higher than the $25,007 average annual salary of a food counter worker.

The top three skills for a cafe server include cleanliness, support tasks and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a food counter worker are food handling, basic math, and safety standards.

Cafe server vs food counter worker overview

	Cafe Server	Food Counter Worker
Yearly salary	$26,967	$25,007
Hourly rate	$12.96	$12.02
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	188,740	74,035
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Cafe server vs food counter worker salary

Cafe servers and food counter workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cafe Server	Food Counter Worker
Average salary	$26,967	$25,007
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $35,000	Between $18,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	-	Andover, MA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	UC Merced
Best paying industry	-	Start-up

Differences between cafe server and food counter worker education

There are a few differences between a cafe server and a food counter worker in terms of educational background:

	Cafe Server	Food Counter Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cafe server vs food counter worker demographics

Here are the differences between cafe servers' and food counter workers' demographics:

	Cafe Server	Food Counter Worker
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%
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%

Differences between cafe server and food counter worker duties and responsibilities

Cafe server example responsibilities.

Serve food to fitness members, order taking on a POS system.
Provide orders, operate POS terminal, and serve food to spa and poolside guests.
Submit additional meal requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests to the kitchen.
Maintain product presentation standards and cleanliness.
Meet company brand expectations of merchandising and cleanliness.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.

Food counter worker example responsibilities.

Provide coffee and pastries for customers, make coffee and smoothies.
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Sandwich making, cutting vegetables, cleaning fryers, washing dishes, cleaning of the dining area and cleaning the bathrooms.
Prepare personalized smoothies and meals for customers

Cafe server vs food counter worker skills

Common cafe server skills

Cleanliness, 30%
Support Tasks, 24%
Customer Satisfaction, 22%
Wine, 4%
Health Code, 4%
Food Service, 2%

Common food counter worker skills

Food Handling, 29%
Basic Math, 18%
Safety Standards, 16%
Cleanliness, 12%
Customer Complaints, 5%
Customer Service, 4%

Cafe Server vs. similar jobs

Cafe Server related careers

Cafe Server related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cafe Server
Cafe Server vs Food Counter Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs