Room service server vs restaurant server

The differences between room service servers and restaurant servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a room service server has an average salary of $26,717, which is higher than the $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a room service server include guest rooms, beverage orders and in-room. The most important skills for a restaurant server are wine, exceptional dining, and guest satisfaction.

Room service server vs restaurant server overview

	Room Service Server	Restaurant Server
Yearly salary	$26,717	$24,558
Hourly rate	$12.84	$11.81
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	144,551	141,250
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	39	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a room service server do?

A room service server is an employee employed in a hotel or lodging to provide various services to the room occupants in the hotel. They often deliver ordered food, drinks, or movies to the occupants' rooms. Their duties and responsibilities include delivery of ordered foods or drinks, taking orders, collecting dirty dishes from rooms, and maintaining supplies and orders.

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.

Room service server vs restaurant server salary

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

	Room Service Server	Restaurant Server
Average salary	$26,717	$24,558
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $39,000	Between $15,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Agriculture

Differences between room service server and restaurant server education

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

	Room Service Server	Restaurant Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Room service server vs restaurant server demographics

Here are the differences between room service servers' and restaurant servers' demographics:

	Room Service Server	Restaurant Server
Average age	39	28
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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	6%	6%

Differences between room service server and restaurant server duties and responsibilities

Room service server example responsibilities.

Clean and defrost mini bars regularly.
Train, maintain and enforce all Marriott service standards using use records, menus and appropriate reference materials.
Perform various financial activities such as cash and credit card processing, daily revenue reports, bank deposits, and payroll.
Assist in weekly payroll and scheduling responsibilities.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.
Build relationships with guests -help prepare for restaurant opening -Maintain restaurant at all times -Persuasive- positive use of upselling techniques

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.

Room service server vs restaurant server skills

Common room service server skills

Guest Rooms, 8%
Beverage Orders, 8%
In-Room, 6%
Cash Handling, 6%
Guest Service, 6%
Cleanliness, 6%

Common restaurant server skills

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

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Room Service Server vs Restaurant Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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