Dining car server vs food server

The differences between dining car servers and food servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dining car server has an average salary of $26,623, which is higher than the $25,209 average annual salary of a food server.

The top three skills for a dining car server include exceptional dining, fine dining and meal service. The most important skills for a food server are beverage orders, wine, and cleanliness.

Dining car server vs food server overview

	Dining Car Server	Food Server
Yearly salary	$26,623	$25,209
Hourly rate	$12.80	$12.12
Growth rate	10%	9%
Number of jobs	89,453	125,455
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	28	42
Years of experience	-	-

Dining car server vs food server salary

Dining car servers and food servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dining Car Server	Food Server
Average salary	$26,623	$25,209
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $34,000	Between $18,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	Gettysburg College
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between dining car server and food server education

There are a few differences between a dining car server and a food server in terms of educational background:

	Dining Car Server	Food Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Dining car server vs food server demographics

Here are the differences between dining car servers' and food servers' demographics:

	Dining Car Server	Food Server
Average age	28	42
Gender ratio	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.8% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 8.7% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between dining car server and food server duties and responsibilities

Dining car server example responsibilities.

Manage POS systems, cash register processes and packing food.
Demonstrate knowledge of each culinary dish, from farm to table.
Maintain cleanliness and conditional issues for the front and back of the house.
Communicate to the kitchen additional requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests for meals.
Provide guests of internationally acclaim Japanese fusion restaurant with exceptional service and culinary expertise.
Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.

Food server example responsibilities.

Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.
Provide outstanding customer service by communicating clearly and effectively while maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the restaurant.
Serve tables in a busy caf /bar environment.
Handle all transactions, both in person and by headset in drive-thru.
Work the Drive-Thru counter assisting numerous customers at a fast and friendly pace.
Prepare and serve delicious espresso, coffee drinks, and smoothies according to memorize recipes.

Dining car server vs food server skills

Common dining car server skills

Exceptional Dining, 18%
Fine Dining, 15%
Meal Service, 10%
Genuine Hospitality, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Bus Tables, 5%

Common food server skills

Beverage Orders, 10%
Wine, 9%
Cleanliness, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Guest Service, 6%
Cash Handling, 5%

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Dining Car Server vs Food Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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