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The differences between catering assistants and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a catering assistant has an average salary of $32,101, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.
The top three skills for a catering assistant include patients, food service and customer service. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.
| Catering Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Yearly salary | $32,101 | $25,536 |
| Hourly rate | $15.43 | $12.28 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 10,042 | 240,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 37 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A catering assistant is responsible for supporting catering operations, especially on outdoor gatherings and social events. Catering assistants prepare the buffet area and ensure the adequacy of foods and beverages, and provide the best customer service for the guests' satisfaction. Catering assistants must have excellent communication skills, responding to the guests' inquiries and concerns about the dish, and resolving immediate complaints. They maintain the cleanliness of the buffet station, strictly adhering to the sanitary standards and hygienic regulations.
Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen. Furthermore, Food Runners need to ensure that all deliveries are accurate according to what is ordered by a customer. It is essential to stay presentable and helpful at all times as the main priority is customer satisfaction.
Catering assistants and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Catering Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Average salary | $32,101 | $25,536 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $38,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a catering assistant and a food runner in terms of educational background:
| Catering Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between catering assistants' and food runners' demographics:
| Catering Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Average age | 37 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.2% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 6% | 8% |