Cocktail waitress vs server and hostess

The differences between cocktail waitresses and server and hostesses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server and hostess has an average salary of $28,020, which is higher than the $26,819 average annual salary of a cocktail waitress.

The top three skills for a cocktail waitress include customer service, drink orders and non-alcoholic beverages. The most important skills for a server and hostess are POS, food preparation, and food orders.

Cocktail waitress vs server and hostess overview

	Cocktail Waitress	Server And Hostess
Yearly salary	$26,819	$28,020
Hourly rate	$12.89	$13.47
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	77,429	97,109
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a cocktail waitress do?

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.

What does a server and hostess do?

A server and hostess is an employee who plays the dual role of both a hostess and a server. As implied by this, a server and hostess is in-charge of welcoming guests as they enter the restaurant, ensuring that the guests' tables are ready before leading them to their assigned tables, handing over the menu, and waiting for the guests to finalize their order. Once the guests are ready to order, the server and hostess takes on the server role by bringing the guests' order to the kitchen, waiting for the food to be ready, and bringing the food to the guests' table.

Cocktail waitress vs server and hostess salary

Cocktail waitresses and server and hostesses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cocktail Waitress	Server And Hostess
Average salary	$26,819	$28,020
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $36,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Binghamton, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Blue Dolphin Energy
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between cocktail waitress and server and hostess education

There are a few differences between a cocktail waitress and a server and hostess in terms of educational background:

	Cocktail Waitress	Server And Hostess
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cocktail waitress vs server and hostess demographics

Here are the differences between cocktail waitresses' and server and hostesses' demographics:

	Cocktail Waitress	Server And Hostess
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 5.7% Female, 94.3%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cocktail waitress and server and hostess duties and responsibilities

Cocktail waitress example responsibilities.

Offer first--class customer service to ensure VIP guests enjoy their club experiences in very fast--pace environment.
Relay orders to bar and kitchen quickly and accurately recording guest selections and keying into the POS system.
Assist bar tenders in peak hours and cash out customers as they exit the restaurant (POS cash register system).
Serve customers alcoholic beverages and accommodate VIP and special requests
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Uphold a high level of professionalism, service, and attentiveness to guests.

Server and hostess example responsibilities.

Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
Provide quality customer service, process customer transactions utilizing proprietary POS system, skillfully handle cash and credit card transactions.
Perform bartending duties during busy events or whenever require.
Coordinate with kitchen managerial staff using POS systems to ensure timely and accurate order preparation.
Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.
Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.

Cocktail waitress vs server and hostess skills

Common cocktail waitress skills

Customer Service, 29%
Drink Orders, 10%
Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 8%
POS, 8%
Beverage Orders, 5%
Bartending, 4%

Common server and hostess skills

POS, 11%
Food Preparation, 10%
Food Orders, 9%
Customer Orders, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Drink Orders, 5%

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Cocktail Waitress vs Server And Hostess

Updated January 8, 2025

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