Host/waiter vs waitstaff

The differences between host/waiters and waitstaffs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a host/waiter has an average salary of $25,593, which is higher than the $25,104 average annual salary of a waitstaff.

The top three skills for a host/waiter include customer service, food handling and waiter. The most important skills for a waitstaff are food service, beverage orders, and culinary.

Host/waiter vs waitstaff overview

	Host/Waiter	Waitstaff
Yearly salary	$25,593	$25,104
Hourly rate	$12.30	$12.07
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	73,399	130,467
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

Host/waiter vs waitstaff salary

Host/waiters and waitstaffs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Host/Waiter	Waitstaff
Average salary	$25,593	$25,104
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $34,000	Between $19,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	-	Falmouth, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Mayo Clinic
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between host/waiter and waitstaff education

There are a few differences between a host/waiter and a waitstaff in terms of educational background:

	Host/Waiter	Waitstaff
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Host/waiter vs waitstaff demographics

Here are the differences between host/waiters' and waitstaffs' demographics:

	Host/Waiter	Waitstaff
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0%	Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 10.1% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between host/waiter and waitstaff duties and responsibilities

Host/waiter example responsibilities.

Manage restaurant sections in order to equalize seating arrangements for each waiter and ensure the restaurant are stocked and well maintain.
Train employees on job duties and POS system.
Edit POS system to adjust for changes in prices and new inventory to assist ease of usage for employees.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Maximize profits by upselling food and alcoholic beverages and utilizing excellent customer service skills to ensure guests repeat business.

Waitstaff example responsibilities.

Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
Assist with stocking of pantry when groceries arrive.
Cater private events and perform light bartending duties.
Increase total restaurant sales by upselling specials and top-shelf liquors.
Work regularly on the pass as well as a waiter.
Offer meal suggestions base on diverse culinary repertoire and expert food knowledge.

Host/waiter vs waitstaff skills

Common host/waiter skills

Customer Service, 27%
Food Handling, 21%
Waiter, 10%
Food Orders, 6%
Food Preparation, 5%
Customer Orders, 3%

Common waitstaff skills

Food Service, 23%
Beverage Orders, 19%
Culinary, 19%
Team Work, 16%
Meal Orders, 8%
Wine, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Host/Waiter
Host/Waiter vs Waitstaff

Updated January 8, 2025

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