Cafeteria server vs counter waitress/waiter

The differences between cafeteria servers and counter waitresses/waiter 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 $25,920 average annual salary of a counter waitress/waiter.

The top three skills for a cafeteria server include clean kitchen, quality customer service and portion control. The most important skills for a counter waitress/waiter are food handling, customer service, and POS.

Cafeteria server vs counter waitress/waiter overview

	Cafeteria Server	Counter Waitress/Waiter
Yearly salary	$29,674	$25,920
Hourly rate	$14.27	$12.46
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	74,546	12,879
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Cafeteria server vs counter waitress/waiter salary

Cafeteria servers and counter waitresses/waiter have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cafeteria Server	Counter Waitress/Waiter
Average salary	$29,674	$25,920
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $19,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between cafeteria server and counter waitress/waiter education

There are a few differences between a cafeteria server and a counter waitress/waiter in terms of educational background:

	Cafeteria Server	Counter Waitress/Waiter
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cafeteria server vs counter waitress/waiter demographics

Here are the differences between cafeteria servers' and counter waitresses/waiter' demographics:

	Cafeteria Server	Counter Waitress/Waiter
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3%	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%
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 cafeteria server and counter waitress/waiter 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.

Counter waitress/waiter example responsibilities.

Counter staff, POS systems, and telephones.Waitress, serving guests, POS systems, running the kitchen.
Answer phones, put orders in through the POS, seat guests and take orders, clean the dinning area.
Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.
Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.

Cafeteria server vs counter waitress/waiter 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 counter waitress/waiter skills

Food Handling, 89%
Customer Service, 5%
POS, 1%
Food Orders, 1%
Customer Orders, 1%
Customer Complaints, 1%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cafeteria Server
Cafeteria Server vs Counter Waitress/Waiter

Updated January 8, 2025

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