Counter waitress/waiter vs counter helper

The differences between counter waitresses/waiter and counter helpers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a counter helper has an average salary of $31,028, 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 counter helper are POS, customer service, and food orders.

Counter waitress/waiter vs counter helper overview

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Counter Helper
Yearly salary	$25,920	$31,028
Hourly rate	$12.46	$14.92
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	12,879	84,190
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs counter helper salary

Counter waitresses/waiter and counter helpers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Counter Helper
Average salary	$25,920	$31,028
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $33,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	The George Washington University
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between counter waitress/waiter and counter helper education

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Counter Helper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs counter helper demographics

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Counter Helper
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 26.7% Female, 73.3%
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 counter helper 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.

Counter helper example responsibilities.

Require to use mental math when counting back change to the customer.
Assist customers, serve drinks and food, run the cash register and clean.
Communicate clearly and positively with co-workers and management.
Monitor guest for intoxication and immediately report concerns to management.
Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.
Develop leadership skills by mentoring new employees, prioritizing and delegating tasks.

Counter waitress/waiter vs counter helper skills

Common counter waitress/waiter skills

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

Common counter helper skills

POS, 19%
Customer Service, 12%
Food Orders, 12%
Customer Satisfaction, 7%
Customer Complaints, 6%
Steam Tables, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Counter Waitress/Waiter
Counter Waitress/Waiter vs Counter Helper

Updated January 8, 2025

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