Food server, kitchen vs food runner

The differences between food servers, kitchen and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food server, kitchen has an average salary of $26,323, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.

The top three skills for a food server, kitchen include wine, dishes and cleanliness. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.

Food server, kitchen vs food runner overview

	Food Server, Kitchen	Food Runner
Yearly salary	$26,323	$25,536
Hourly rate	$12.66	$12.28
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	120,231	240,853
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food server, kitchen vs food runner salary

Food servers, kitchen and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Server, Kitchen	Food Runner
Average salary	$26,323	$25,536
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $35,000	Between $18,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	University of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between food server, kitchen and food runner education

There are a few differences between a food server, kitchen and a food runner in terms of educational background:

	Food Server, Kitchen	Food Runner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food server, kitchen vs food runner demographics

Here are the differences between food servers, kitchen' and food runners' demographics:

	Food Server, Kitchen	Food Runner
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2%	Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0%
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, 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%

Differences between food server, kitchen and food runner duties and responsibilities

Food server, kitchen example responsibilities.

Manage event reservations and party requests, inform customers about upcoming events and specials.
Take orders, maintain cleanliness, place phone orders, expedite kitchen, make change, know menu and ingredients.
Take guest orders and input them into POS system.
Start as a server in the kitchen to serve student meals and work POS on the computer.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Welcome customers and make recommendations for selective requirements for celebration/venue/special occasions/food allergies and sensitivities.

Food runner example responsibilities.

Manage labor and design of numerous weddings, banquets, buffets, and the restaurant floor.
Manage event reservations and party requests, inform customers about upcoming events and specials.
Provide excellent customer service to guests by describing and suggesting culinary options
Greet customers and prepare drinks (tea, smoothies).
Expedite the kitchen to ensure food leaves fast and accurately.
Demonstrate strong computational skills for tendering receipt of payments from clients.

Food server, kitchen vs food runner skills

Common food server, kitchen skills

Wine, 20%
Dishes, 11%
Cleanliness, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
POS, 8%
Cash Handling, 6%

Common food runner skills

Cleanliness, 20%
Wine, 9%
Culinary, 7%
Food Orders, 6%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Handling, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Food Server, Kitchen
Food Server, Kitchen vs Food Runner

Updated January 8, 2025

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