Restaurant server vs line server

The differences between restaurant servers and line servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a line server has an average salary of $28,300, which is higher than the $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a restaurant server include wine, exceptional dining and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a line server are customer service, quality customer service, and exceptional guest.

Restaurant server vs line server overview

	Restaurant Server	Line Server
Yearly salary	$24,558	$28,300
Hourly rate	$11.81	$13.61
Growth rate	10%	14%
Number of jobs	141,250	246,165
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	28	23
Years of 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.

What does a line server do?

A line server is responsible for assisting the guests with their needs to ensure an overall satisfying dining experience with the highest quality service. Line servers take and verify guests' orders, provide recommendation for orders, respond to the guests' inquiries regarding the menu, manage the food preparation and serving, assist guests with additional requests, and ensure strict adherence to the sanitary standards and hygienic procedures at all times. Line servers must have excellent communication and time-management skills to interact with different guests and identify their dining needs.

Restaurant server vs line server salary

Restaurant servers and line servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Restaurant Server	Line Server
Average salary	$24,558	$28,300
Salary range	Between $15,000 And $37,000	Between $21,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Agriculture	-

Differences between restaurant server and line server education

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

	Restaurant Server	Line Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Restaurant server vs line server demographics

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

	Restaurant Server	Line Server
Average age	28	23
Gender ratio	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between restaurant server and line server duties and responsibilities

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.

Line server example responsibilities.

Customer-Orient fast food worker with deep experience with POS systems, food preparation and safety regulations.
Experience with making smoothies and hot beverages while making sure customers are satisfied.
Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers, accurately process payment methods via POS system.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Operate a commercial dishwasher to clean and sanitize flatware, glassware, utensils, and pots and pans.
Set correct water temperature and correct amount of dish soap for dishwasher to ensure dishes are clean and sanitize.

Restaurant server vs line server skills

Common restaurant server skills

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

Common line server skills

Customer Service, 21%
Quality Customer Service, 20%
Exceptional Guest, 7%
Excellent Guest, 6%
Safety Standards, 4%
Food Safety, 3%

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Restaurant Server vs Line Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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