Waitress vs server and hostess

The differences between waitresses and server and hostesses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a server and hostess has an average salary of $28,020, 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 server and hostess are POS, food preparation, and food orders.

Waitress vs server and hostess overview

	Waitress	Server And Hostess
Yearly salary	$24,770	$28,020
Hourly rate	$11.91	$13.47
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	87,315	97,109
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a waitress do?

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.

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.

Waitress vs server and hostess salary

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

	Waitress	Server And Hostess
Average salary	$24,770	$28,020
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $35,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Binghamton, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	New York Institute of Technology	Blue Dolphin Energy
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between waitress and server and hostess education

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

	Waitress	Server And Hostess
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Waitress vs server and hostess demographics

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

	Waitress	Server And Hostess
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
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, 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 waitress and server and hostess duties and responsibilities

Waitress example responsibilities.

Manage a recurring book of business of top VIP clients secure through networking.
Relay orders to bar and kitchen by quickly and accurately recording guest selections and keying them into the POS computer system.
wait tables, handle money, exceed guest expectations, serve food and drinks, micros, clean, side work.
Increase store sales by upselling merchandise.
Enter order/payment information into micros system, deliver receipt and change to the customer.
Bring wine selections to tables with appropriate glasses, and pour the wines for customers.

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.

Waitress vs server and hostess skills

Common waitress skills

Food Orders, 13%
Food Preparation, 9%
Customer Orders, 8%
POS, 7%
Drink Orders, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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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Waitress vs Server And Hostess

Updated January 8, 2025

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