Cafeteria server vs banquet server

The differences between cafeteria servers and banquet servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cafeteria server has an average salary of $29,674, which is higher than the $29,017 average annual salary of a banquet server.

The top three skills for a cafeteria server include clean kitchen, quality customer service and portion control. The most important skills for a banquet server are wine, cleanliness, and food service.

Cafeteria server vs banquet server overview

	Cafeteria Server	Banquet Server
Yearly salary	$29,674	$29,017
Hourly rate	$14.27	$13.95
Growth rate	14%	10%
Number of jobs	74,546	125,381
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	23	28
Years of experience	-	-

Cafeteria server vs banquet server salary

Cafeteria servers and banquet servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cafeteria Server	Banquet Server
Average salary	$29,674	$29,017
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $20,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Endicott College
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between cafeteria server and banquet server education

There are a few differences between a cafeteria server and a banquet server in terms of educational background:

	Cafeteria Server	Banquet Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cafeteria server vs banquet server demographics

Here are the differences between cafeteria servers' and banquet servers' demographics:

	Cafeteria Server	Banquet Server
Average age	23	28
Gender ratio	Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between cafeteria server and banquet server duties and responsibilities

Cafeteria server example responsibilities.

Manage event reservations and party requests, inform customers about upcoming events and specials.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Develop credibility and confidence with VIP guests by maintaining confidentiality and complying with company standards.

Banquet server example responsibilities.

Provide professional bartending and hospitality services to optimize customer service experiences for private, corporate, and public events.
Create PowerPoint food presentations for training purposes.
Gain skills in customer dining service, hospitality and compassion.
Analyze BEOs to ensure rooms are prepare each day for schedule events.
Organize and run every event book through cold calling or past guests.
Review BEOs in order to ensure proper room setup and A/V requests are meet.

Cafeteria server vs banquet server skills

Common cafeteria server skills

Clean Kitchen, 37%
Quality Customer Service, 21%
Portion Control, 14%
Food Products, 8%
Service Line, 7%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%

Common banquet server skills

Wine, 12%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Service, 9%
Customer Service, 6%
Professional Appearance, 5%
Beverage Service, 5%

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Cafeteria Server vs Banquet Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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