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The differences between cocktail servers and dining room servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dining room server has an average salary of $29,540, which is higher than the $26,178 average annual salary of a cocktail server.
The top three skills for a cocktail server include wine, cash handling and beverage orders. The most important skills for a dining room server are fine dining, food service, and cleanliness.
| Cocktail Server | Dining Room Server | |
| Yearly salary | $26,178 | $29,540 |
| Hourly rate | $12.59 | $14.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 74,674 | 99,079 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 28 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A cocktail server's responsibilities revolve around taking orders and serving drinks in a restaurant or similar establishment, ensuring accuracy and customer satisfaction. Aside from this, a cocktail server may have to process payments, clean tables, and even offer suggestions when necessary. They also have to be alert for any signs of disruptive behavior from intoxicated to underage customers. Furthermore, it is essential to communicate and coordinate with the bartender and other kitchen staff to ensure that every patron gets their order, especially on days when there's a high customer presence.
A dining room server performs various tasks to give patrons a positive dining experience. Their job usually entails greeting customers and presenting the menu, taking their orders, answering inquiries, recommending products and other services, serving drinks and food, and handling concerns professionally and courteously. They are also responsible for coordinating with cashiers and kitchen staff, cleaning and preparing tables for new customers, and assisting staff as needed. In some establishments, a dining room server may also participate in preparing drinks or ingredients, monitoring supply inventories, and collecting payments.
Cocktail servers and dining room servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cocktail Server | Dining Room Server | |
| Average salary | $26,178 | $29,540 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $42,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Marysville, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Aspen Snowmass | Eastmont School District |
| Best paying industry | Media | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a cocktail server and a dining room server in terms of educational background:
| Cocktail Server | Dining Room Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cocktail servers' and dining room servers' demographics:
| Cocktail Server | Dining Room Server | |
| Average age | 28 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0% | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% Asian, 8.1% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |