Server vs server and hostess

The differences between servers and server and hostesses 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 $28,020 average annual salary of a server and hostess.

The top three skills for a server include wine, customer service and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a server and hostess are POS, food preparation, and food orders.

Server vs server and hostess overview

	Server	Server And Hostess
Yearly salary	$29,901	$28,020
Hourly rate	$14.38	$13.47
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	162,734	97,109
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 39%
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 server and hostess do?

A server and hostess is an employee who plays the dual role of both a hostess and a server. As implied by this, a server and hostess is in-charge of welcoming guests as they enter the restaurant, ensuring that the guests' tables are ready before leading them to their assigned tables, handing over the menu, and waiting for the guests to finalize their order. Once the guests are ready to order, the server and hostess takes on the server role by bringing the guests' order to the kitchen, waiting for the food to be ready, and bringing the food to the guests' table.

Server vs server and hostess salary

Servers and server and hostesses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Server	Server And Hostess
Average salary	$29,901	$28,020
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $42,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Binghamton, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Dell	Blue Dolphin Energy
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between server and server and hostess education

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

	Server	Server And Hostess
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Server vs server and hostess demographics

Here are the differences between servers' and server and hostesses' demographics:

	Server	Server And Hostess
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
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, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between server and server and hostess 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.

Server and hostess example responsibilities.

Assist guests in booking reservations and manage guest history data using OpenTable reservation system.
Provide quality customer service, process customer transactions utilizing proprietary POS system, skillfully handle cash and credit card transactions.
Perform bartending duties during busy events or whenever require.
Coordinate with kitchen managerial staff using POS systems to ensure timely and accurate order preparation.
Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.
Manage expediter window paying close attention to garnishes and presentation.

Server vs server and hostess skills

Common server skills

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

Common server and hostess skills

POS, 11%
Food Preparation, 10%
Food Orders, 9%
Customer Orders, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Drink Orders, 5%

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Server vs Server And Hostess

Updated January 8, 2025

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