Car hop vs food server

The differences between car hops and food servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a car hop has an average salary of $26,495, which is higher than the $25,209 average annual salary of a food server.

The top three skills for a car hop include quality customer service, food orders and drive-thru. The most important skills for a food server are beverage orders, wine, and cleanliness.

Car hop vs food server overview

	Car Hop	Food Server
Yearly salary	$26,495	$25,209
Hourly rate	$12.74	$12.12
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	61,317	125,455
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Car hop vs food server salary

Car hops and food servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Car Hop	Food Server
Average salary	$26,495	$25,209
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $33,000	Between $18,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	Gettysburg College
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between car hop and food server education

There are a few differences between a car hop and a food server in terms of educational background:

	Car Hop	Food Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Car hop vs food server demographics

Here are the differences between car hops' and food servers' demographics:

	Car Hop	Food Server
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7%	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 7.2% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 8.7% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between car hop and food server duties and responsibilities

Car hop example responsibilities.

Acquire mathematics and customer service skills in a fast pace restaurant environment
Make smoothies, shakes, crepes, waffles, coffee, etc.
Prepare drinks according to Starbucks standards.
Master POS (point of sales) system for order taking and purchasing transactions.
Clear trays and trash from guests' cars, patio, Drive-Thru parking lot and property.
Welcome customers and accurately take their food, drink, or dessert orders both on POS system and in-person.

Food server example responsibilities.

Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.
Provide outstanding customer service by communicating clearly and effectively while maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the restaurant.
Serve tables in a busy caf /bar environment.
Handle all transactions, both in person and by headset in drive-thru.
Work the Drive-Thru counter assisting numerous customers at a fast and friendly pace.
Prepare and serve delicious espresso, coffee drinks, and smoothies according to memorize recipes.

Car hop vs food server skills

Common car hop skills

Quality Customer Service, 40%
Food Orders, 12%
Drive-Thru, 10%
Mathematics, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Operational Standards, 5%

Common food server skills

Beverage Orders, 10%
Wine, 9%
Cleanliness, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Guest Service, 6%
Cash Handling, 5%

Car Hop vs. similar jobs

Car Hop related careers

Car Hop related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Car Hop
Car Hop vs Food Server

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs