Informal waiter/waitress vs server and hostess

The differences between informal waiter/waitresses and server and hostesses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server and hostess has an average salary of $28,020, 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 server and hostess are POS, food preparation, and food orders.

Informal waiter/waitress vs server and hostess overview

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Server And Hostess
Yearly salary	$24,354	$28,020
Hourly rate	$11.71	$13.47
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	3,660	97,109
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 39%
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 server and hostess do?

A server and hostess is an employee who plays the dual role of both a hostess and a server. As implied by this, a server and hostess is in-charge of welcoming guests as they enter the restaurant, ensuring that the guests' tables are ready before leading them to their assigned tables, handing over the menu, and waiting for the guests to finalize their order. Once the guests are ready to order, the server and hostess takes on the server role by bringing the guests' order to the kitchen, waiting for the food to be ready, and bringing the food to the guests' table.

Informal waiter/waitress vs server and hostess salary

Informal waiter/waitresses and server and hostesses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Server And Hostess
Average salary	$24,354	$28,020
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $36,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Saratoga Springs, NY	Binghamton, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Aspen Snowmass	Blue Dolphin Energy
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between informal waiter/waitress and server and hostess education

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

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Server And Hostess
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Informal waiter/waitress vs server and hostess demographics

Here are the differences between informal waiter/waitresses' and server and hostesses' demographics:

	Informal Waiter/Waitress	Server And Hostess
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between informal waiter/waitress and server and hostess 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.

Server and hostess example responsibilities.

Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
Provide quality customer service, process customer transactions utilizing proprietary POS system, skillfully handle cash and credit card transactions.
Perform bartending duties during busy events or whenever require.
Coordinate with kitchen managerial staff using POS systems to ensure timely and accurate order preparation.
Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.
Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.

Informal waiter/waitress vs server and hostess skills

Common informal waiter/waitress skills

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

Common server and hostess skills

POS, 11%
Food Preparation, 10%
Food Orders, 9%
Customer Orders, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Drink Orders, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Informal Waiter/Waitress
Informal Waiter/Waitress vs Server And Hostess

Updated January 8, 2025

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