Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between deli associates and food runner/bussers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food runner/busser has an average salary of $28,577, which is higher than the $28,360 average annual salary of a deli associate.
The top three skills for a deli associate include food handling, basic math and customer service. The most important skills for a food runner/busser are cleanliness, wine, and excellent guest.
| Deli Associate | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Yearly salary | $28,360 | $28,577 |
| Hourly rate | $13.63 | $13.74 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 117,130 | 124,680 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A deli associate is personnel who works in grocery and deli stores and assists shoppers by responding to their inquiries and requests. He/She updates his/her product displays to ensure that new items and promotions are showcased and follow all food safety and sanitation. Aside from engaging with customers, deli associates must possess the ability to lift heavy objects and operates equipment such as cash registers and meat slicers. Also, deli associates' minimum educational requirement is a high school diploma, but experience in deli counter work is a plus.
A food runner or busser is an employee who works at a restaurant to provide quality food services to customers and patrons. Food runners or bussers perform food preparation and ensure that foods are delivered promptly to the appropriate customers' tables. In case the bar server is busy, food runners or bussers may take the drink orders of customers at the bar counter. They also make sure that tables are bussed, cleaned, and set up for the next paying customers.
Deli associates and food runner/bussers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Deli Associate | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Average salary | $28,360 | $28,577 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $39,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | - | The Culinary Institute of America |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a deli associate and a food runner/busser in terms of educational background:
| Deli Associate | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between deli associates' and food runner/bussers' demographics:
| Deli Associate | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.2% Female, 62.8% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| 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% |