Fast food worker vs food server

The differences between fast food workers and food servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food server has an average salary of $25,209, which is higher than the $24,860 average annual salary of a fast food worker.

The top three skills for a fast food worker include food handling, basic math and drive-thru. The most important skills for a food server are beverage orders, wine, and cleanliness.

Fast food worker vs food server overview

	Fast Food Worker	Food Server
Yearly salary	$24,860	$25,209
Hourly rate	$11.95	$12.12
Growth rate	14%	9%
Number of jobs	156,271	125,455
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 63%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	23	42
Years of experience	-	-

Fast food worker vs food server salary

Fast food workers and food servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fast Food Worker	Food Server
Average salary	$24,860	$25,209
Salary range	Between $12,000 And $51,000	Between $18,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	Franklin Square, NY	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Vermont
Best paying company	UC Merced	Gettysburg College
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Retail

Differences between fast food worker and food server education

There are a few differences between a fast food worker and a food server in terms of educational background:

	Fast Food Worker	Food Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 63%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fast food worker vs food server demographics

Here are the differences between fast food workers' and food servers' demographics:

	Fast Food Worker	Food Server
Average age	23	42
Gender ratio	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
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, 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	8%	7%

Differences between fast food worker and food server duties and responsibilities

Fast food worker example responsibilities.

Operate ovens, deep fryers, grills, cash registers, and other appliances.
Operate large-volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep-fat fryers, conventional and microwave ovens.
Experience at POS, always give customer satisfaction and very persuasive with sales.
Landscape public parks utilizing a variety of heavy machinery including weed whackers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers.
Cook foods by baking, roasting, broiling, frying, steaming and grilling.
Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with request beverages.

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.

Fast food worker vs food server skills

Common fast food worker skills

Food Handling, 28%
Basic Math, 17%
Drive-Thru, 9%
Safety Standards, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Drink Orders, 4%

Common food server skills

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

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Fast Food Worker vs Food Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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