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The differences between server assistants and cook/servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook/server has an average salary of $29,716, which is higher than the $25,654 average annual salary of a server assistant.
The top three skills for a server assistant include cleanliness, reservations and service stations. The most important skills for a cook/server are customer service, customer orders, and safety standards.
| Server Assistant | Cook/Server | |
| Yearly salary | $25,654 | $29,716 |
| Hourly rate | $12.33 | $14.29 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 194,248 | 257,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 52% |
| Average age | 39 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A server assistant, also known as a busser, is a restaurant employee who assists food servers in providing prompt and polite service to their guests. Server assistants are responsible for the preparation of tables for their arriving guests at the same time to help deliver food to tables when the food servers are busy. Aside from entertaining guests, server assistants must ensure that beverages are refilled, menus are sanitized, and process payments. Server assistants must also possess excellent communication and customer service skills.
Cooks/servers are employees who take on the dual role of being a cook and a server in the restaurant. They are usually trained cooks who are in charge of preparing meals for the guests. They prepare ingredients, cook them according to the recipe, and serve them to guests. They are responsible for ensuring that the food is prepared and served to guests within the promised time. They are in charge of managing the pantry, ensuring that the stock is fresh, and checking whether the stock is low. They are expected to have culinary skills, precision, and time management skills.
Server assistants and cook/servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Server Assistant | Cook/Server | |
| Average salary | $25,654 | $29,716 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $33,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Pioneer High School | The Harley School |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Retail |
There are a few differences between a server assistant and a cook/server in terms of educational background:
| Server Assistant | Cook/Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between server assistants' and cook/servers' demographics:
| Server Assistant | Cook/Server | |
| Average age | 39 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |