Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook/server

The differences between cook and waitresses/waiter and cook/servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook/server has an average salary of $29,716, which is higher than the $27,271 average annual salary of a cook and waitress/waiter.

The top three skills for a cook and waitress/waiter include food handling, customer service and waiter. The most important skills for a cook/server are customer service, customer orders, and safety standards.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook/server overview

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook/Server
Yearly salary	$27,271	$29,716
Hourly rate	$13.11	$14.29
Growth rate	10%	14%
Number of jobs	268,608	257,582
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 52%
Average age	28	23
Years of experience	-	-

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook/server salary

Cook and waitresses/waiter and cook/servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook/Server
Average salary	$27,271	$29,716
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Bellingham, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	The Harley School
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between cook and waitress/waiter and cook/server education

There are a few differences between a cook and waitress/waiter and a cook/server in terms of educational background:

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook/Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook/server demographics

Here are the differences between cook and waitresses/waiter' and cook/servers' demographics:

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook/Server
Average age	28	23
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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%

Differences between cook and waitress/waiter and cook/server duties and responsibilities

Cook and waitress/waiter example responsibilities.

Enter orders into a POS system to be send to the kitchen.
Assist in cashier duties using POS system to make all monetary transactions of food items.
Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.
Service of drinks, cocktails and food in a busy, members only VIP environment.

Cook/server example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Assist customers, bag groceries, replenish carts, and clean store.
Pay close attention to detail while multitasking between communicating over the intercom, utilizing the POS, and order placing.
Make smoothies, coffee, customer service, cashier, fill bakery cooler, inventory, stock, and clean!
Operate the filtration system used for the fryers to keep all sanitation guidelines up to standards as per the health department.
Operate, and maintain clean and safe cooking equipment like pressure cooker deep fryers, plate grills, and deep fryers.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook/server skills

Common cook and waitress/waiter skills

Food Handling, 58%
Customer Service, 14%
Waiter, 5%
Food Orders, 3%
Food Service, 2%
Food Preparation, 2%

Common cook/server skills

Customer Service, 41%
Customer Orders, 8%
Safety Standards, 6%
Food Preparation, 5%
Kitchen Equipment, 4%
POS, 4%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cook And Waitress/Waiter
Cook And Waitress/Waiter vs Cook/Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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