Counter waitress/waiter vs food counter worker

The differences between counter waitresses/waiter and food counter workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a counter waitress/waiter has an average salary of $25,920, which is higher than the $25,007 average annual salary of a food counter worker.

The top three skills for a counter waitress/waiter include food handling, customer service and POS. The most important skills for a food counter worker are food handling, basic math, and safety standards.

Counter waitress/waiter vs food counter worker overview

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Food Counter Worker
Yearly salary	$25,920	$25,007
Hourly rate	$12.46	$12.02
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	12,879	74,035
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs food counter worker salary

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Food Counter Worker
Average salary	$25,920	$25,007
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $33,000	Between $18,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	-	Andover, MA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	UC Merced
Best paying industry	-	Start-up

Differences between counter waitress/waiter and food counter worker education

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Food Counter Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs food counter worker demographics

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Food Counter Worker
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%
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 food counter worker 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.

Food counter worker example responsibilities.

Provide coffee and pastries for customers, make coffee and smoothies.
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Sandwich making, cutting vegetables, cleaning fryers, washing dishes, cleaning of the dining area and cleaning the bathrooms.
Prepare personalized smoothies and meals for customers

Counter waitress/waiter vs food counter worker skills

Common counter waitress/waiter skills

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

Common food counter worker skills

Food Handling, 29%
Basic Math, 18%
Safety Standards, 16%
Cleanliness, 12%
Customer Complaints, 5%
Customer Service, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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