Server assistant vs restaurant server

The differences between server assistants and restaurant servers 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 $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a server assistant include cleanliness, reservations and service stations. The most important skills for a restaurant server are wine, exceptional dining, and guest satisfaction.

Server assistant vs restaurant server overview

	Server Assistant	Restaurant Server
Yearly salary	$25,654	$24,558
Hourly rate	$12.33	$11.81
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	194,248	141,250
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	39	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a server assistant do?

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.

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.

Server assistant vs restaurant server salary

Server assistants and restaurant servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Server Assistant	Restaurant Server
Average salary	$25,654	$24,558
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $33,000	Between $15,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	Pioneer High School	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Agriculture

Differences between server assistant and restaurant server education

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

	Server Assistant	Restaurant Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Server assistant vs restaurant server demographics

Here are the differences between server assistants' and restaurant servers' demographics:

	Server Assistant	Restaurant Server
Average age	39	28
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
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, 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 server assistant and restaurant server duties and responsibilities

Server assistant example responsibilities.

Manage event reservations and party requests, inform customers about upcoming events and specials.
Set up chairs, tables, and workstations.
Stock the bar and service areas for bartenders and beverage servers.
Deliver food orders to guests accordingly to five stars five diamonds standards.
Direct other beverage servers and bartenders when to take breaks and for how long.
Assist servers with taking orders, ringing in orders on the POS and running food.

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.

Server assistant vs restaurant server skills

Common server assistant skills

Cleanliness, 16%
Reservations, 13%
Service Stations, 10%
Wine, 6%
Ruby, 5%
Exceptional Dining, 5%

Common restaurant server skills

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

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Server Assistant
Server Assistant vs Restaurant Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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