Set-up crew vs food runner

The differences between set-up crews and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a set-up crew has an average salary of $31,875, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.

The top three skills for a set-up crew include meeting rooms, customer service and wedding receptions. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.

Set-up crew vs food runner overview

	Set-Up Crew	Food Runner
Yearly salary	$31,875	$25,536
Hourly rate	$15.32	$12.28
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	65,215	240,853
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Set-up crew vs food runner salary

Set-up crews and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Set-Up Crew	Food Runner
Average salary	$31,875	$25,536
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $42,000	Between $18,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	University of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between set-up crew and food runner education

There are a few differences between a set-up crew and a food runner in terms of educational background:

	Set-Up Crew	Food Runner
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Set-up crew vs food runner demographics

Here are the differences between set-up crews' and food runners' demographics:

	Set-Up Crew	Food Runner
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7%	Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0%
Race ratio	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%	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	8%	8%

Differences between set-up crew and food runner duties and responsibilities

Set-up crew example responsibilities.

Train staff to ensure that all work are conducted under GMP conditions.
Delegate and supervise assignments to new associates using effective communication and leadership skills.
Repair broken props; mend costumes; and execute quick scene changes.
Train new crew members of McDonalds and show them the correct way to do their assign position.

Food runner example responsibilities.

Manage labor and design of numerous weddings, banquets, buffets, and the restaurant floor.
Manage event reservations and party requests, inform customers about upcoming events and specials.
Provide excellent customer service to guests by describing and suggesting culinary options
Greet customers and prepare drinks (tea, smoothies).
Expedite the kitchen to ensure food leaves fast and accurately.
Demonstrate strong computational skills for tendering receipt of payments from clients.

Set-up crew vs food runner skills

Common set-up crew skills

Meeting Rooms, 25%
Customer Service, 22%
Wedding Receptions, 11%
RAN, 8%
Event Set-Up, 7%
Dance Floors, 5%

Common food runner skills

Cleanliness, 20%
Wine, 9%
Culinary, 7%
Food Orders, 6%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Handling, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Set-Up Crew
Set-Up Crew vs Food Runner

Updated January 8, 2025

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