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The differences between cocktail waitresses and cocktail servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cocktail waitress has an average salary of $26,819, which is higher than the $26,178 average annual salary of a cocktail server.
The top three skills for a cocktail waitress include customer service, drink orders and non-alcoholic beverages. The most important skills for a cocktail server are wine, cash handling, and beverage orders.
| Cocktail Waitress | Cocktail Server | |
| Yearly salary | $26,819 | $26,178 |
| Hourly rate | $12.89 | $12.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 77,429 | 74,674 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 28 | 28 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A cocktail waitress, or often called a cocktail server, is a female server who serves alcoholic beverages and food to patrons in nightclubs and bars. Cocktail waitresses are required to interact with customers by taking their food orders, serving them food and drinks, and then processing payments. To serve proper alcoholic drinks to customers, cocktail waitresses must be well informed about the drinks they serve, such as wine, beer, and cocktails. They also assist in checking identification to ensure that customers are of legal age to buy alcoholic drinks.
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.
Cocktail waitresses and cocktail servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cocktail Waitress | Cocktail Server | |
| Average salary | $26,819 | $26,178 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $36,000 | Between $16,000 And $42,000 |
| 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 waitress and a cocktail server in terms of educational background:
| Cocktail Waitress | Cocktail Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cocktail waitresses' and cocktail servers' demographics:
| Cocktail Waitress | Cocktail Server | |
| Average age | 28 | 28 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 5.7% Female, 94.3% | Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |