Food stylist vs food runner

The differences between food stylists and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food stylist has an average salary of $36,910, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.

The top three skills for a food stylist include culinary, photo shoots and food preparation. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.

Food stylist vs food runner overview

	Food Stylist	Food Runner
Yearly salary	$36,910	$25,536
Hourly rate	$17.75	$12.28
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	64,591	240,853
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food stylist vs food runner salary

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

	Food Stylist	Food Runner
Average salary	$36,910	$25,536
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $51,000	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 stylist and food runner education

There are a few differences between a food stylist and a food runner in terms of educational background:

	Food Stylist	Food Runner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food stylist vs food runner demographics

Here are the differences between food stylists' and food runners' demographics:

	Food Stylist	Food Runner
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4%	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 stylist and food runner duties and responsibilities

Food stylist example responsibilities.

Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.
Evaluate and present current culinary trends to cookbook editorial teams.
Establish culinary recipe execution and appealing product presentation for hundreds of recipes
Note allergies and special accommodations on receipts to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.
Appoint to serve guests of honor, and handle all special guest requests regarding food allergies and dietary restrictions

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 stylist vs food runner skills

Common food stylist skills

Culinary, 31%
Photo Shoots, 20%
Food Preparation, 20%
Recipe Development, 10%
Test Kitchen, 7%
Food Safety, 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 Stylist vs Food Runner

Updated January 8, 2025

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