Cook and waitress/waiter vs waitstaff

The differences between cook and waitresses/waiter and waitstaffs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook and waitress/waiter has an average salary of $27,271, which is higher than the $25,104 average annual salary of a waitstaff.

The top three skills for a cook and waitress/waiter include food handling, customer service and waiter. The most important skills for a waitstaff are food service, beverage orders, and culinary.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs waitstaff overview

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Waitstaff
Yearly salary	$27,271	$25,104
Hourly rate	$13.11	$12.07
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	268,608	130,467
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

Cook and waitress/waiter vs waitstaff salary

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

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Waitstaff
Average salary	$27,271	$25,104
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $19,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	-	Falmouth, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Mayo Clinic
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between cook and waitress/waiter and waitstaff education

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

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Waitstaff
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cook and waitress/waiter vs waitstaff demographics

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

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Waitstaff
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cook and waitress/waiter and waitstaff 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.

Waitstaff example responsibilities.

Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
Assist with stocking of pantry when groceries arrive.
Cater private events and perform light bartending duties.
Increase total restaurant sales by upselling specials and top-shelf liquors.
Work regularly on the pass as well as a waiter.
Offer meal suggestions base on diverse culinary repertoire and expert food knowledge.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs waitstaff 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 waitstaff skills

Food Service, 23%
Beverage Orders, 19%
Culinary, 19%
Team Work, 16%
Meal Orders, 8%
Wine, 3%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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