Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between food service attendants and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service attendant has an average salary of $25,604, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.
The top three skills for a food service attendant include food handling, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.
| Food Service Attendant | Food Runner | |
| Yearly salary | $25,604 | $25,536 |
| Hourly rate | $12.31 | $12.28 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 229,108 | 240,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Food Service Attendant works in various establishments such as hotels, cafeterias, and bars to deal with service, meal preparation, and food handling. They work under the control of a kitchen manager or food service director and deliver their services all days of the week. Their primary duties include taking delivery orders and answering customer phones, and assisting wait staff and cashiers in collecting money. Moreover, they respond to customer queries and making menu suggestions. Also, they clean workplaces, follow meal safety guidelines and prepare food and drinks.
Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen. Furthermore, Food Runners need to ensure that all deliveries are accurate according to what is ordered by a customer. It is essential to stay presentable and helpful at all times as the main priority is customer satisfaction.
Food service attendants and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Attendant | Food Runner | |
| Average salary | $25,604 | $25,536 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $33,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bend, OR | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Utah | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Media | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a food service attendant and a food runner in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Attendant | Food Runner | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food service attendants' and food runners' demographics:
| Food Service Attendant | Food Runner | |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% | 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% |