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The differences between servers and beverage servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server has an average salary of $29,901, which is higher than the $25,886 average annual salary of a beverage server.
The top three skills for a server include wine, customer service and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a beverage server are drink orders, guest service, and beverage orders.
| Server | Beverage Server | |
| Yearly salary | $29,901 | $25,886 |
| Hourly rate | $14.38 | $12.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 162,734 | 79,100 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 28 | 28 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A beverage server specializes in mixing and preparing drinks, serving them to customers courteously. Their responsibilities also include greeting the customers, taking orders, answering inquiries, offering recommendations when necessary, and checking the customers' identification to confirm their ages. They may also provide assistance to managers by monitoring beverage inventories, receiving and unloading deliveries, organizing supplies and equipment, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas. Moreover, as a beverage server, it is essential to have a clear communication line with co-workers for smooth work operations.
Servers and beverage servers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Server | Beverage Server | |
| Average salary | $29,901 | $25,886 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $42,000 | Between $20,000 And $33,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | Dell | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a server and a beverage server in terms of educational background:
| Server | Beverage Server | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between servers' and beverage servers' demographics:
| Server | Beverage Server | |
| Average age | 28 | 28 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0% | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |