Counter waitress/waiter vs server and hostess

The differences between counter waitresses/waiter and server and hostesses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server and hostess has an average salary of $28,020, 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 server and hostess are POS, food preparation, and food orders.

Counter waitress/waiter vs server and hostess overview

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Server And Hostess
Yearly salary	$25,920	$28,020
Hourly rate	$12.46	$13.47
Growth rate	14%	10%
Number of jobs	12,879	97,109
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	23	28
Years of experience	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs server and hostess salary

Counter waitresses/waiter and server and hostesses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Server And Hostess
Average salary	$25,920	$28,020
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $33,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Binghamton, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Blue Dolphin Energy
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between counter waitress/waiter and server and hostess education

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Server And Hostess
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Counter waitress/waiter vs server and hostess demographics

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

	Counter Waitress/Waiter	Server And Hostess
Average age	23	28
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between counter waitress/waiter and server and hostess 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.

Server and hostess example responsibilities.

Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
Provide quality customer service, process customer transactions utilizing proprietary POS system, skillfully handle cash and credit card transactions.
Perform bartending duties during busy events or whenever require.
Coordinate with kitchen managerial staff using POS systems to ensure timely and accurate order preparation.
Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.
Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.

Counter waitress/waiter vs server and hostess skills

Common counter waitress/waiter skills

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

Common server and hostess skills

POS, 11%
Food Preparation, 10%
Food Orders, 9%
Customer Orders, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Drink Orders, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Counter Waitress/Waiter
Counter Waitress/Waiter vs Server And Hostess

Updated January 8, 2025

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