Hostess vs restaurant server

The differences between hostesses and restaurant servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a hostess has an average salary of $26,298, which is higher than the $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a hostess include reservations, exceptional guest and seat guests. The most important skills for a restaurant server are wine, exceptional dining, and guest satisfaction.

Hostess vs restaurant server overview

	Hostess	Restaurant Server
Yearly salary	$26,298	$24,558
Hourly rate	$12.64	$11.81
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	82,629	141,250
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	23	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a hostess do?

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.

What does a restaurant server do?

Also called food servers, restaurant servers perform food preparation, cleaning duties, and customer service in casual dining eateries and restaurants. The food servers stock supplies, handle credit cards and the cash register, and clean restaurant counters and tables. They provide assistance to restaurant patrons to take orders, deliver food, and answer customer questions. The skills they need include trustworthiness, organization, customer relations, and communication skills.

Hostess vs restaurant server salary

Hostesses and restaurant servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hostess	Restaurant Server
Average salary	$26,298	$24,558
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $34,000	Between $15,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	V-Soft Consulting	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Agriculture

Differences between hostess and restaurant server education

There are a few differences between a hostess and a restaurant server in terms of educational background:

	Hostess	Restaurant Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hostess vs restaurant server demographics

Here are the differences between hostesses' and restaurant servers' demographics:

	Hostess	Restaurant Server
Average age	23	28
Gender ratio	Male, 14.1% Female, 85.9%	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between hostess and restaurant server duties and responsibilities

Hostess example responsibilities.

Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
Welcome guests upon arrival and provide seating arrangements base upon OpenTable reservations and guest preference.
Greet by name and escort patrons to their personalize private dining area while coordinating reservations and exemplifying customer service
Help bar back when need and learned minimal skills in bartending.
Make managers aware of guests' special dining requirements and allergies.
Set up and maintain continental breakfast buffet, hors d'oeuvres and VIP bar.

Restaurant server example responsibilities.

Demonstrate adequate culinary and Italian wine knowledge through suggestive selling.
Input orders in micros and issue guest check for each order.
Prepare the groceries for the customer in their request baggage handing.3.
Maintain clean, sanitize FOH area and ensure health & safety and hygiene procedures and standards are meet.
Work with operations manager in ordering and setting up all FOH systems need in opening a new restaurant.
Provide thorough knowledge of the restaurant's menu to make recommendations or answer questions, and enter POS charges.

Hostess vs restaurant server skills

Common hostess skills

Reservations, 49%
Exceptional Guest, 9%
Seat Guests, 4%
To-Go Orders, 4%
Bus Tables, 3%
Telephone Calls, 2%

Common restaurant server skills

Wine, 28%
Exceptional Dining, 6%
Guest Satisfaction, 5%
Cleanliness, 5%
POS, 5%
Food Service, 5%

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Hostess vs Restaurant Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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