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The differences between runners and servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a runner has an average salary of $33,320, which is higher than the $29,901 average annual salary of a server.
The top three skills for a runner include food service, basic math and math. The most important skills for a server are wine, customer service, and guest satisfaction.
| Runner | Server | |
| Yearly salary | $33,320 | $29,901 |
| Hourly rate | $16.02 | $14.38 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 15,501 | 162,734 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 28 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A runner is considered as a general assistant who works under the direction of a producer and other production staff to do basic works such as answering the phone or making arrangements for staff on locations in the broadcasting and film industry. The role of a runner is to ensure that the production process is running smoothly. A runner should possess a lot of skills, such as excellent time management and teamwork. A bachelor or postgraduate degree is not required for being a runner.
A server is a restaurant employee assigned to the main dining area of the restaurant to primarily attend to the customer's needs. Servers assist guests to their tables, wait for the guests to be ready with their orders, and take the guests' orders. They should be knowledgeable about the restaurant's offerings since they should be able to answer any questions asked by the guests regarding the menu. They communicate the guests' orders to the kitchen crew and serve the orders once they are ready. Once the guests are finished eating, servers provide their bills upon their request and clean up the table when they leave. Servers should have excellent customer service skills and hospitality management skills.
Runners and servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Runner | Server | |
| Average salary | $33,320 | $29,901 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $41,000 | Between $21,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | Virginia Eye Institute | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a runner and a server in terms of educational background:
| Runner | Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between runners' and servers' demographics:
| Runner | Server | |
| Average age | 45 | 28 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3% | Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 13.3% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.2% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |