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The differences between kitchen staff and food servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen staff has an average salary of $29,816, which is higher than the $25,209 average annual salary of a food server.
The top three skills for a kitchen staff include food handling, cleanliness and sanitation standards. The most important skills for a food server are beverage orders, wine, and cleanliness.
| Kitchen Staff | Food Server | |
| Yearly salary | $29,816 | $25,209 |
| Hourly rate | $14.33 | $12.12 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 154,513 | 125,455 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The kitchen staff consists of preparation workers who execute several routine tasks as directed by chefs, food service managers, and cooks. These works should have the ability to follow cooking instructions and deliver well-prepared meals. Their responsibilities include the cleanup of dishes, cooking equipment, and the working stations. They also take charge of food safety regulations, storing and sorting of ingredients, and preparing foodstuff.
A Food Server specializes in helping customers attain a pleasant dining experience while ensuring to meet all food handling and health regulation standards. Most of the responsibilities revolve around greeting customers and directing them to comfortable seats, responding to their inquires and taking their orders, and courteously suggesting options. Aside from serving meals, Food Servers must also accept payments, organize order receipts, replenish stocks in food containers and drinking stations, and clean tables for the new customers.
Kitchen staff and food servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Kitchen Staff | Food Server | |
| Average salary | $29,816 | $25,209 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Vermont |
| Best paying company | The Road Home | Gettysburg College |
| Best paying industry | Education | Retail |
There are a few differences between a kitchen staff and a food server in terms of educational background:
| Kitchen Staff | Food Server | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between kitchen staff' and food servers' demographics:
| Kitchen Staff | Food Server | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 8.7% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |