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The differences between food runner/bussers and servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server has an average salary of $29,901, which is higher than the $28,577 average annual salary of a food runner/busser.
The top three skills for a food runner/busser include cleanliness, wine and excellent guest. The most important skills for a server are wine, customer service, and guest satisfaction.
| Food Runner/Busser | Server | |
| Yearly salary | $28,577 | $29,901 |
| Hourly rate | $13.74 | $14.38 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 124,680 | 162,734 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 23 | 28 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A server is a restaurant employee assigned to the main dining area of the restaurant to primarily attend to the customer's needs. Servers assist guests to their tables, wait for the guests to be ready with their orders, and take the guests' orders. They should be knowledgeable about the restaurant's offerings since they should be able to answer any questions asked by the guests regarding the menu. They communicate the guests' orders to the kitchen crew and serve the orders once they are ready. Once the guests are finished eating, servers provide their bills upon their request and clean up the table when they leave. Servers should have excellent customer service skills and hospitality management skills.
Food runner/bussers and servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Runner/Busser | Server | |
| Average salary | $28,577 | $29,901 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $21,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New York |
| Best paying company | The Culinary Institute of America | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a food runner/busser and a server in terms of educational background:
| Food Runner/Busser | Server | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food runner/bussers' and servers' demographics:
| Food Runner/Busser | Server | |
| Average age | 23 | 28 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.2% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |