Cafe server demographics and statistics in the US
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Cafe server demographics by:
Cafe server gender statistics
71.2% of cafe servers are women and 28.8% of cafe servers are men.
- Female, 71.2%
- Male, 28.8%
Cafe server gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 71.2% |
| Male | 28.8% |
Cafe server gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$27,558
Female income
$27,798
Cafe server gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in cafe server positions over time. Currently, 71.2% of cafe servers are female.
Cafe server gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 28.51% | 71.49% |
| 2011 | 28.16% | 71.84% |
| 2012 | 24.06% | 75.94% |
| 2013 | 28.04% | 71.96% |
| 2014 | 27.44% | 72.56% |
| 2015 | 26.66% | 73.34% |
| 2016 | 28.63% | 71.37% |
| 2017 | 31.31% | 68.69% |
| 2018 | 29.73% | 70.27% |
| 2019 | 30.73% | 69.27% |
| 2020 | 30.02% | 69.98% |
| 2021 | 28.84% | 71.16% |
Cafe server related jobs gender ratio
We compared cafe servers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, busboy/waiter and host/waiter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Barmaid | 5% | 95% |
| Head Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Bartender, Cook, And Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Cafe Server | 29% | 71% |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 86% | 14% |
| Host/Waiter | 90% | 10% |
| Busboy/Waiter | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Cafe server demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among cafe servers is White, which makes up 57.5% of all cafe servers. Comparatively, 18.6% of cafe servers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of cafe servers are Black or African American.
- White, 57.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.6%
- Black or African American, 9.6%
- Unknown, 6.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Cafe server race
| Cafe server race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.6% |
| Black or African American | 9.6% |
| Unknown | 6.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Cafe server race and ethnicity over time
See how cafe server racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Cafe server race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.34% | 9.13% | 3.69% | 11.95% |
| 2011 | 67.95% | 11.05% | 4.79% | 12.64% |
| 2012 | 69.94% | 10.13% | 3.56% | 13.08% |
| 2013 | 69.81% | 10.93% | 3.38% | 12.04% |
| 2014 | 71.49% | 9.14% | 3.34% | 12.38% |
| 2015 | 67.30% | 8.91% | 4.26% | 14.38% |
| 2016 | 66.28% | 8.97% | 3.80% | 15.92% |
| 2017 | 68.29% | 7.59% | 6.14% | 14.37% |
| 2018 | 64.11% | 11.49% | 5.21% | 15.12% |
| 2019 | 62.41% | 10.01% | 6.21% | 17.04% |
| 2020 | 59.95% | 9.82% | 6.36% | 16.74% |
| 2021 | 57.47% | 9.64% | 6.49% | 18.63% |
Cafe server wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino cafe servers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american cafe servers have the lowest average salary at $27,102.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $27,419 |
| White | $27,529 |
| Black or African American | $27,102 |
| Asian | $27,849 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $27,897 |
Average cafe server age
See how the average age of cafe servers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Cafe server age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 22.5 | 21 |
| Unknown | 21 | 20.5 |
| Asian | 21 | 22 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21 | 22 |
| White | 21 | 21 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 21 |
Cafe server age breakdown
The average age of cafe servers is 20-30 years years old, representing 51% of the cafe server population.
Cafe server age breakdown
| Cafe Server Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 3% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 51% |
Cafe server educational attainment
The most common degree for cafe servers is bachelor's degree, with 43% of cafe servers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 25% and high school diploma degree at 21%.
- Bachelor's, 43%
- High School Diploma, 25%
- Associate, 21%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Cafe servers by degree level
| Cafe server degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 43% |
| High School Diploma | 25% |
| Associate | 21% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Cafe server jobs you might like
Cafe server wage gap by degree level
According to the data, cafe servers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $28,648 annually. With a Associate degree, cafe servers earn a median annual income of $28,229 compared to $26,883 for cafe servers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $26,883 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $28,648 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,229 |
Cafe server employment statistics
Most cafe servers work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where cafe servers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where cafe servers work.
Cafe server jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 17% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 18% |
Cafe server jobs by company type
Employees with the cafe server job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most cafe servers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Cafe server jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 17% |
| Private | 71% |
| Government | 2% |
Cafe server jobs by industry
The most common industries for cafe servers are hospitality, retail and health care.
Cafe server industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 39% |
| Retail | 13% |
| Health Care | 11% |
| Education | 8% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Media | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Cafe server turnover and employment statistics
Cafe server unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for cafe servers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cafe server unemployment rate by year
| Year | Cafe server unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 18.11% |
| 2011 | 17.49% |
| 2012 | 16.09% |
| 2013 | 15.66% |
| 2014 | 13.47% |
| 2015 | 10.82% |
| 2016 | 10.79% |
| 2017 | 9.38% |
| 2018 | 9.31% |
| 2019 | 8.07% |
| 2020 | 9.90% |
| 2021 | 9.86% |
Average cafe server tenure
The average cafe server stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 800 cafe servers resumes in Zippia's database.
Cafe server tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 36% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Cafe server LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of cafe servers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Informal Waiter/Waitress | 6.48% | 3,660 |
| Dietary Aide, Serving | 6.98% | 45,822 |
| Gate Tender | 7.82% | 28,683 |
| Cafe Server | 7.82% | - |
Similar cafe server jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Informal Waiter/Waitress | 6.48% | 3,660 |
| Dietary Aide, Serving | 6.98% | 45,822 |
| Gate Tender | 7.82% | 28,683 |
Foreign languages spoken by cafe servers
The most common foreign language among cafe servers is Spanish at 47.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.7% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 5.9%.
- Spanish, 47.1%
- French, 14.7%
- Arabic, 5.9%
- Chinese, 2.9%
- German, 2.9%
- Other, 26.5%
Cafe server languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 47.1% |
| French | 14.7% |
| Arabic | 5.9% |
| Chinese | 2.9% |
| German | 2.9% |
| Other | 26.5% |
