Cafeteria server vs restaurant server

The differences between cafeteria servers and restaurant 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 $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a cafeteria server include clean kitchen, quality customer service and portion control. The most important skills for a restaurant server are wine, exceptional dining, and guest satisfaction.

Cafeteria server vs restaurant server overview

	Cafeteria Server	Restaurant Server
Yearly salary	$29,674	$24,558
Hourly rate	$14.27	$11.81
Growth rate	14%	10%
Number of jobs	74,546	141,250
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	23	28
Years of experience	-	-

Cafeteria server vs restaurant server salary

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

	Cafeteria Server	Restaurant Server
Average salary	$29,674	$24,558
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $15,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Agriculture

Differences between cafeteria server and restaurant server education

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

	Cafeteria Server	Restaurant Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cafeteria server vs restaurant server demographics

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

	Cafeteria Server	Restaurant Server
Average age	23	28
Gender ratio	Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3%	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between cafeteria server and restaurant 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.

Restaurant server example responsibilities.

Demonstrate adequate culinary and Italian wine knowledge through suggestive selling.
Input orders in micros and issue guest check for each order.
Prepare the groceries for the customer in their request baggage handing.3.
Maintain clean, sanitize FOH area and ensure health & safety and hygiene procedures and standards are meet.
Work with operations manager in ordering and setting up all FOH systems need in opening a new restaurant.
Provide thorough knowledge of the restaurant's menu to make recommendations or answer questions, and enter POS charges.

Cafeteria server vs restaurant 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 restaurant server skills

Wine, 28%
Exceptional Dining, 6%
Guest Satisfaction, 5%
Cleanliness, 5%
POS, 5%
Food Service, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cafeteria Server
Cafeteria Server vs Restaurant Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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