Counter waitress/waiter vs cafe server

The differences between counter waitresses/waiter and cafe servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cafe server has an average salary of $26,967, which is higher than the $25,920 average annual salary of a counter waitress/waiter.

The top three skills for a counter waitress/waiter include food handling, customer service and POS. The most important skills for a cafe server are cleanliness, support tasks, and customer satisfaction.

Counter waitress/waiter vs cafe server overview

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Cafe Server
Yearly salary	$25,920	$26,967
Hourly rate	$12.46	$12.96
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	12,879	188,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs cafe server salary

Counter waitresses/waiter and cafe servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Cafe Server
Average salary	$25,920	$26,967
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $33,000	Between $20,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between counter waitress/waiter and cafe server education

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Cafe Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs cafe server demographics

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Cafe Server
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
Race ratio	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%	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	8%	8%

Differences between counter waitress/waiter and cafe server duties and responsibilities

Counter waitress/waiter example responsibilities.

Counter staff, POS systems, and telephones.Waitress, serving guests, POS systems, running the kitchen.
Answer phones, put orders in through the POS, seat guests and take orders, clean the dinning area.
Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.
Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.

Cafe server example responsibilities.

Serve food to fitness members, order taking on a POS system.
Provide orders, operate POS terminal, and serve food to spa and poolside guests.
Submit additional meal requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests to the kitchen.
Maintain product presentation standards and cleanliness.
Meet company brand expectations of merchandising and cleanliness.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.

Counter waitress/waiter vs cafe server skills

Common counter waitress/waiter skills

Food Handling, 89%
Customer Service, 5%
POS, 1%
Food Orders, 1%
Customer Orders, 1%
Customer Complaints, 1%

Common cafe server skills

Cleanliness, 30%
Support Tasks, 24%
Customer Satisfaction, 22%
Wine, 4%
Health Code, 4%
Food Service, 2%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Counter Waitress/Waiter
Counter Waitress/Waiter vs Cafe Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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