Server vs cook/server

The differences between servers and cook/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 $29,716 average annual salary of a cook/server.

The top three skills for a server include wine, customer service and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a cook/server are customer service, customer orders, and safety standards.

Server vs cook/server overview

	Server	Cook/Server
Yearly salary	$29,901	$29,716
Hourly rate	$14.38	$14.29
Growth rate	10%	14%
Number of jobs	162,734	257,582
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 52%
Average age	28	23
Years of experience	-	-

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 cook/server do?

Cooks/servers are employees who take on the dual role of being a cook and a server in the restaurant. They are usually trained cooks who are in charge of preparing meals for the guests. They prepare ingredients, cook them according to the recipe, and serve them to guests. They are responsible for ensuring that the food is prepared and served to guests within the promised time. They are in charge of managing the pantry, ensuring that the stock is fresh, and checking whether the stock is low. They are expected to have culinary skills, precision, and time management skills.

Server vs cook/server salary

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

	Server	Cook/Server
Average salary	$29,901	$29,716
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $42,000	Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Bellingham, WA
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Dell	The Harley School
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Retail

Differences between server and cook/server education

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

	Server	Cook/Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Server vs cook/server demographics

Here are the differences between servers' and cook/servers' demographics:

	Server	Cook/Server
Average age	28	23
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%
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, 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%

Differences between server and cook/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.

Cook/server example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Assist customers, bag groceries, replenish carts, and clean store.
Pay close attention to detail while multitasking between communicating over the intercom, utilizing the POS, and order placing.
Make smoothies, coffee, customer service, cashier, fill bakery cooler, inventory, stock, and clean!
Operate the filtration system used for the fryers to keep all sanitation guidelines up to standards as per the health department.
Operate, and maintain clean and safe cooking equipment like pressure cooker deep fryers, plate grills, and deep fryers.

Server vs cook/server skills

Common server skills

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

Common cook/server skills

Customer Service, 41%
Customer Orders, 8%
Safety Standards, 6%
Food Preparation, 5%
Kitchen Equipment, 4%
POS, 4%

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Server vs Cook/Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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