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The differences between server assistants and food runner/bussers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food runner/busser has an average salary of $28,577, 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 food runner/busser are cleanliness, wine, and excellent guest.
| Server Assistant | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Yearly salary | $25,654 | $28,577 |
| Hourly rate | $12.33 | $13.74 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 194,248 | 124,680 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| 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.
A food runner or busser is an employee who works at a restaurant to provide quality food services to customers and patrons. Food runners or bussers perform food preparation and ensure that foods are delivered promptly to the appropriate customers' tables. In case the bar server is busy, food runners or bussers may take the drink orders of customers at the bar counter. They also make sure that tables are bussed, cleaned, and set up for the next paying customers.
Server assistants and food runner/bussers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Server Assistant | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Average salary | $25,654 | $28,577 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $33,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Pioneer High School | The Culinary Institute of America |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a server assistant and a food runner/busser in terms of educational background:
| Server Assistant | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between server assistants' and food runner/bussers' demographics:
| Server Assistant | Food Runner/Busser | |
| Average age | 39 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| 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% |