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The differences between cocktail servers and fine dining servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fine dining server has an average salary of $32,140, 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 fine dining server are wine, fine dining, and cleanliness.
| Cocktail Server | Fine Dining Server | |
| Yearly salary | $26,178 | $32,140 |
| Hourly rate | $12.59 | $15.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 74,674 | 77,549 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 28 | 28 |
| 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.
Fine dining servers the people who make your stay at a restaurant enjoyable. They deliver well-written orders for the kitchen to prepare and bring your food and beverage. Being a fine dining server is no easy task, as certain skill sets need to be met in order to become an effective dining server. An efficient server is detail-oriented, observant to the needs of the diners, and intuitive. An extensive knowledge of wines and other specific food categories may be required depending on the restaurant.
Cocktail servers and fine dining servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cocktail Server | Fine Dining Server | |
| Average salary | $26,178 | $32,140 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $42,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Aspen Snowmass | - |
| Best paying industry | Media | - |
There are a few differences between a cocktail server and a fine dining server in terms of educational background:
| Cocktail Server | Fine Dining Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cocktail servers' and fine dining servers' demographics:
| Cocktail Server | Fine Dining Server | |
| Average age | 28 | 28 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0% | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 8.2% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |