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The differences between server assistants and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server assistant has an average salary of $25,654, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.
The top three skills for a server assistant include cleanliness, reservations and service stations. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.
| Server Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Yearly salary | $25,654 | $25,536 |
| Hourly rate | $12.33 | $12.28 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 194,248 | 240,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| 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.
Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen. Furthermore, Food Runners need to ensure that all deliveries are accurate according to what is ordered by a customer. It is essential to stay presentable and helpful at all times as the main priority is customer satisfaction.
Server assistants and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Server Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Average salary | $25,654 | $25,536 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $33,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Pioneer High School | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a server assistant and a food runner in terms of educational background:
| Server Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between server assistants' and food runners' demographics:
| Server Assistant | Food Runner | |
| Average age | 39 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% |
| 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% |