Server vs bartender server

The differences between servers and bartender servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a bartender server has an average salary of $32,591, which is higher than the $29,901 average annual salary of a server.

The top three skills for a server include wine, customer service and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a bartender server are bartending, POS, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Server vs bartender server overview

	Server	Bartender Server
Yearly salary	$29,901	$32,591
Hourly rate	$14.38	$15.67
Growth rate	10%	18%
Number of jobs	162,734	106,784
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	28	34
Years of experience	-	2

What does a server do?

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.

What does a bartender server do?

Bartender servers are employees who work in the restaurant's bar area. They are responsible for assembling customers' drink orders and serving these to customers. They should be sound drink mixers and must be familiar with cocktail combinations and other mixes. They should also know the ingredients of the restaurant's drinks and should be able to use alternatives should specific components be unavailable. Some bartender servers engage in flairtending, a way of mixing drinks that entertains the guests waiting for their drinks.

Server vs bartender server salary

Servers and bartender servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Server	Bartender Server
Average salary	$29,901	$32,591
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $42,000	Between $23,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Edmonds, WA
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	Dell	Earth Fare
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between server and bartender server education

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

	Server	Bartender Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Server vs bartender server demographics

Here are the differences between servers' and bartender servers' demographics:

	Server	Bartender Server
Average age	28	34
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 33.8% Female, 66.2%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between server and bartender server duties and responsibilities

Server example responsibilities.

Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.
Provide exceptional customer service, while frequently checking for food allergies, by utilizing excellent communication and multitasking skills.
Maximize profits by upselling food and alcoholic beverages and utilizing excellent customer service skills to ensure guests repeat business.
Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
Provide exceptional service to guests with charm, professionalism, respect, and bright personality.
Embrace serving on a more personal level due the quaint, small-town charm of the location.

Bartender server example responsibilities.

Use micros, handle money, give change, manage bar cost, keep good customer relations to gain repeat business.
Direct bartending operations, seamless beverage services, inventory management and customer service.
Provide efficient hands-on food and beverage delivery while successfully upselling food and beverage orders.
Optimize bar revenue by upselling drinks and facilitating repeat business by cultivating relationships to encourage repeat patronage.
Fast pace serving customers, bartender on occasion, put orders in micros and get people their checks in a timely matter
Experience utilizing POS system quickly and accurately.

Server vs bartender server skills

Common server skills

Wine, 15%
Customer Service, 10%
Guest Satisfaction, 8%
Cleanliness, 7%
Cash Handling, 7%
POS, 6%

Common bartender server skills

Bartending, 15%
POS, 10%
Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 9%
Fine Dining, 7%
Drink Orders, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Server vs Bartender Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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