Server vs fine dining server

The differences between servers and fine dining servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fine dining server has an average salary of $32,140, 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 fine dining server are wine, fine dining, and cleanliness.

Server vs fine dining server overview

	Server	Fine Dining Server
Yearly salary	$29,901	$32,140
Hourly rate	$14.38	$15.45
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	162,734	77,549
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	28	28
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 fine dining server do?

Fine dining servers the people who make your stay at a restaurant enjoyable. They deliver well-written orders for the kitchen to prepare and bring your food and beverage. Being a fine dining server is no easy task, as certain skill sets need to be met in order to become an effective dining server. An efficient server is detail-oriented, observant to the needs of the diners, and intuitive. An extensive knowledge of wines and other specific food categories may be required depending on the restaurant.

Server vs fine dining server salary

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

	Server	Fine Dining Server
Average salary	$29,901	$32,140
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $42,000	Between $21,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Dell	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between server and fine dining server education

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

	Server	Fine Dining Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Server vs fine dining server demographics

Here are the differences between servers' and fine dining servers' demographics:

	Server	Fine Dining Server
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 8.2% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between server and fine dining 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.

Fine dining server example responsibilities.

Schedule and prioritize workload while managing multiple tasks as a representative of this distinctive establishment frequent by wine enthusiasts.
Maintain Microsoft windows base computer system.
Work closely with management to implement new organizational systems to facilitate efficient wine service and inventory.
Craft featured cocktails and signature drinks when bartending.
Inform chefs if guests have any allergies or other requests.
Maintain cleanliness of work areas, china, glass, etc., throughout the day.

Server vs fine dining server skills

Common server skills

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

Common fine dining server skills

Wine, 27%
Fine Dining, 24%
Cleanliness, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Beverage Orders, 4%
POS, 4%

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Server vs Fine Dining Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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