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The differences between waitresses and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food runner has an average salary of $25,536, which is higher than the $24,770 average annual salary of a waitress.
The top three skills for a waitress include food orders, food preparation and customer orders. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.
| Waitress | Food Runner | |
| Yearly salary | $24,770 | $25,536 |
| Hourly rate | $11.91 | $12.28 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 87,315 | 240,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 28 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Waitresses are responsible for ensuring that guests are given proper attention during their visit to the restaurant. They guide guests to their table, provide menu boards, answer any questions the guests may have, take the guests' order, and communicate the order to the kitchen. Once the order is ready, waitresses collect the food from the kitchen and serve it to the guests. They then give guests time to finish their meal. Upon the guests' request, waitresses bring them their bill and wait for them to finish paying up. Once the guests leave, waitresses are responsible for ensuring that the table is ready for the next guests.
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.
Waitresses and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Waitress | Food Runner | |
| Average salary | $24,770 | $25,536 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $35,000 | Between $18,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Vermont |
| Best paying company | New York Institute of Technology | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a waitress and a food runner in terms of educational background:
| Waitress | Food Runner | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between waitresses' and food runners' demographics:
| Waitress | Food Runner | |
| Average age | 28 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1% | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |