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The differences between servers and food runners 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 $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.
The top three skills for a server include wine, customer service and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.
| Server | Food Runner | |
| Yearly salary | $29,901 | $25,536 |
| Hourly rate | $14.38 | $12.28 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 162,734 | 240,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 28 | 23 |
| 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.
Food Runners are responsible for assisting waitstaff on serving customers at a restaurant or similar establishment. Among their duties include maintaining cleanliness in particular areas, setting tables, refilling drinks, assisting customers with everything that they need, and coordinating with the workforce in and out of the kitchen. Furthermore, Food Runners need to ensure that all deliveries are accurate according to what is ordered by a customer. It is essential to stay presentable and helpful at all times as the main priority is customer satisfaction.
Servers and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Server | Food Runner | |
| Average salary | $29,901 | $25,536 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $42,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Dell | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a server and a food runner in terms of educational background:
| Server | Food Runner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between servers' and food runners' demographics:
| Server | Food Runner | |
| Average age | 28 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0% | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% |
| 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% |