Server vs restaurant server

The differences between servers and restaurant 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 $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a server include wine, customer service and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a restaurant server are wine, exceptional dining, and guest satisfaction.

Server vs restaurant server overview

	Server	Restaurant Server
Yearly salary	$29,901	$24,558
Hourly rate	$14.38	$11.81
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	162,734	141,250
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
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 restaurant server do?

Also called food servers, restaurant servers perform food preparation, cleaning duties, and customer service in casual dining eateries and restaurants. The food servers stock supplies, handle credit cards and the cash register, and clean restaurant counters and tables. They provide assistance to restaurant patrons to take orders, deliver food, and answer customer questions. The skills they need include trustworthiness, organization, customer relations, and communication skills.

Server vs restaurant server salary

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

	Server	Restaurant Server
Average salary	$29,901	$24,558
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $42,000	Between $15,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Dell	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Agriculture

Differences between server and restaurant server education

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

	Server	Restaurant Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Server vs restaurant server demographics

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

	Server	Restaurant Server
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between server and restaurant 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.

Restaurant server example responsibilities.

Demonstrate adequate culinary and Italian wine knowledge through suggestive selling.
Input orders in micros and issue guest check for each order.
Prepare the groceries for the customer in their request baggage handing.3.
Maintain clean, sanitize FOH area and ensure health & safety and hygiene procedures and standards are meet.
Work with operations manager in ordering and setting up all FOH systems need in opening a new restaurant.
Provide thorough knowledge of the restaurant's menu to make recommendations or answer questions, and enter POS charges.

Server vs restaurant server skills

Common server skills

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

Common restaurant server skills

Wine, 28%
Exceptional Dining, 6%
Guest Satisfaction, 5%
Cleanliness, 5%
POS, 5%
Food Service, 5%

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Server vs Restaurant Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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