Soda fountain operator vs cafe server

The differences between soda fountain operators and cafe servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a soda fountain operator has an average salary of $30,611, which is higher than the $26,967 average annual salary of a cafe server.

The top three skills for a soda fountain operator include equipment temperatures, customer service and customer orders. The most important skills for a cafe server are cleanliness, support tasks, and customer satisfaction.

Soda fountain operator vs cafe server overview

	Soda Fountain Operator	Cafe Server
Yearly salary	$30,611	$26,967
Hourly rate	$14.72	$12.96
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	35,897	188,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Soda fountain operator vs cafe server salary

Soda fountain operators and cafe servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Soda Fountain Operator	Cafe Server
Average salary	$30,611	$26,967
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $40,000	Between $20,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between soda fountain operator and cafe server education

There are a few differences between a soda fountain operator and a cafe server in terms of educational background:

	Soda Fountain Operator	Cafe Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	General Studies	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Soda fountain operator vs cafe server demographics

Here are the differences between soda fountain operators' and cafe servers' demographics:

	Soda Fountain Operator	Cafe Server
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
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 soda fountain operator and cafe server duties and responsibilities

Soda fountain operator example responsibilities.

Used commercial culinary equipment including espresso machine, commercial ovens and bread slicers.
Prepare sandwiches, salads, wraps, smoothies, and other beverages.

Cafe server example responsibilities.

Serve food to fitness members, order taking on a POS system.
Provide orders, operate POS terminal, and serve food to spa and poolside guests.
Submit additional meal requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests to the kitchen.
Maintain product presentation standards and cleanliness.
Meet company brand expectations of merchandising and cleanliness.
Establish a positive relationship with co-workers and managers through a solid work ethic, positive attitude, punctuality and dependability.

Soda fountain operator vs cafe server skills

Common soda fountain operator skills

Equipment Temperatures, 84%
Customer Service, 7%
Customer Orders, 4%
Drive-Thru, 2%
Customer Satisfaction, 2%

Common cafe server skills

Cleanliness, 30%
Support Tasks, 24%
Customer Satisfaction, 22%
Wine, 4%
Health Code, 4%
Food Service, 2%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Soda Fountain Operator
Soda Fountain Operator vs Cafe Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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