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The differences between hostesses and dining room servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dining room server has an average salary of $29,540, which is higher than the $26,298 average annual salary of a hostess.
The top three skills for a hostess include reservations, exceptional guest and seat guests. The most important skills for a dining room server are fine dining, food service, and cleanliness.
| Hostess | Dining Room Server | |
| Yearly salary | $26,298 | $29,540 |
| Hourly rate | $12.64 | $14.20 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 82,629 | 99,079 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 23 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Hostesses are responsible for managing guests who come to the restaurant. They greet guests, ensure that the guests have tables ready before letting them into the restaurant floor, guide the guests to their assigned tables, and introduce the guests to the waiter assigned to the table. Hostesses also manage the reservation list, often manning the restaurant's reservation hotline. They also control the entry of guests, answer any query that guests may have, and take note of any special requests. Hostesses ensure that guests have the best possible restaurant experience.
A dining room server performs various tasks to give patrons a positive dining experience. Their job usually entails greeting customers and presenting the menu, taking their orders, answering inquiries, recommending products and other services, serving drinks and food, and handling concerns professionally and courteously. They are also responsible for coordinating with cashiers and kitchen staff, cleaning and preparing tables for new customers, and assisting staff as needed. In some establishments, a dining room server may also participate in preparing drinks or ingredients, monitoring supply inventories, and collecting payments.
Hostesses and dining room servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hostess | Dining Room Server | |
| Average salary | $26,298 | $29,540 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $34,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | Marysville, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Washington |
| Best paying company | V-Soft Consulting | Eastmont School District |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a hostess and a dining room server in terms of educational background:
| Hostess | Dining Room Server | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between hostesses' and dining room servers' demographics:
| Hostess | Dining Room Server | |
| Average age | 23 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.1% Female, 85.9% | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |