Informal waiter/waitress vs head server

The differences between informal waiter/waitresses and head servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head server has an average salary of $111,194, which is higher than the $24,354 average annual salary of an informal waiter/waitress.

The top three skills for an informal waiter/waitress include beverage orders, waiter and customer service. The most important skills for a head server are customer service, new servers, and POS.

Informal waiter/waitress vs head server overview

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Head Server
Yearly salary	$24,354	$111,194
Hourly rate	$11.71	$53.46
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	3,660	64,405
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does an informal waiter/waitress do?

An informal waiter/waitress is primarily in charge of serving patrons in coffee shops, fast-food chains, and other similar dining establishments, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with kitchen and management staff, greeting and welcoming customers, providing menus and answering inquiries, offering suggestions, and serving the customers' orders promptly and accurately. They may also process payments or provide other assistance as needed. Furthermore, an informal waiter/waitress must maintain the cleanliness of tables and workspaces, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

What does a head server do?

A head server is primarily in charge of supervising waiters in a restaurant or similar setting, ensuring customer satisfaction. Aside from leading a team of servers, they also assist customers by offering menus, taking and serving orders, even providing suggestions when needed. Moreover, they usually delegate tasks, manage schedules, respond to inquiries, and address issues and concerns, giving corrective measures. As a head server, it is also essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the restaurant's policies and health standards.

Informal waiter/waitress vs head server salary

Informal waiter/waitresses and head servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Head Server
Average salary	$24,354	$111,194
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $36,000	Between $51,000 And $238,000
Highest paying City	Saratoga Springs, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Aspen Snowmass	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between informal waiter/waitress and head server education

There are a few differences between an informal waiter/waitress and a head server in terms of educational background:

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Head Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Informal waiter/waitress vs head server demographics

Here are the differences between informal waiter/waitresses' and head servers' demographics:

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Head Server
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 9.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between informal waiter/waitress and head server duties and responsibilities

Informal waiter/waitress example responsibilities.

Train in bartending duties, knowledgeable of preparation of alcoholic beverages.
Request and record customer orders, and totale orders using the POS system.
Help bartending when staff are short.
Fix POS computers, printers, and credit card systems above and beyond job responsibilities.
Start as a busboy and are quickly promote to a waiter when a spot are made available.
Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.

Head server example responsibilities.

Train and manage all BOH employees.
Manage all servers' end of night cash out and prepare host and bartending tip out.
Manage opening and closing duties, including restocking items and insuring the FOH are clean and shut down correctly.
Manage technical support, business analysis, project management, application development and support, training, and facilitation.
Help drive and increase restaurant sales by upselling and highlighting off menu items.
Train new employees on operating the micros system and on self-presentation and customer service.

Informal waiter/waitress vs head server skills

Common informal waiter/waitress skills

Beverage Orders, 48%
Waiter, 18%
Customer Service, 12%
Food Service, 9%
Fine Dining, 3%
Wine, 2%

Common head server skills

Customer Service, 33%
New Servers, 9%
POS, 6%
Fine Dining, 5%
Bartending, 4%
Safety Procedures, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Informal Waiter/Waitress
Informal Waiter/Waitress vs Head Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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