Waitstaff vs fine dining server

The differences between waitstaffs and fine dining servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fine dining server has an average salary of $32,140, which is higher than the $25,104 average annual salary of a waitstaff.

The top three skills for a waitstaff include food service, beverage orders and culinary. The most important skills for a fine dining server are wine, fine dining, and cleanliness.

Waitstaff vs fine dining server overview

	Waitstaff	Fine Dining Server
Yearly salary	$25,104	$32,140
Hourly rate	$12.07	$15.45
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	130,467	77,549
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a waitstaff do?

The waitstaff takes responsibility for tasks like recommending dishes based on the tastes and preferences of guests, accepting payments, and taking orders. Waitstaff delivers food to tables, ensures outstanding guest experience, and accepts payments. They work with diligence to get outstanding service quality and work with the other staff. It is part of their job to show customers their seats and provide menu options. They attend to tables for food service and guarantee cleanliness standard compliance.

What does a fine dining server do?

Fine dining servers the people who make your stay at a restaurant enjoyable. They deliver well-written orders for the kitchen to prepare and bring your food and beverage. Being a fine dining server is no easy task, as certain skill sets need to be met in order to become an effective dining server. An efficient server is detail-oriented, observant to the needs of the diners, and intuitive. An extensive knowledge of wines and other specific food categories may be required depending on the restaurant.

Waitstaff vs fine dining server salary

Waitstaffs and fine dining servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Waitstaff	Fine Dining Server
Average salary	$25,104	$32,140
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $32,000	Between $21,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Falmouth, MA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Mayo Clinic	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between waitstaff and fine dining server education

There are a few differences between a waitstaff and a fine dining server in terms of educational background:

	Waitstaff	Fine Dining Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Waitstaff vs fine dining server demographics

Here are the differences between waitstaffs' and fine dining servers' demographics:

	Waitstaff	Fine Dining Server
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7%	Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 8.2% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between waitstaff and fine dining server duties and responsibilities

Waitstaff example responsibilities.

Set up, work in, and manage the private room events as both bartender and waiter.
Assist with stocking of pantry when groceries arrive.
Cater private events and perform light bartending duties.
Increase total restaurant sales by upselling specials and top-shelf liquors.
Work regularly on the pass as well as a waiter.
Offer meal suggestions base on diverse culinary repertoire and expert food knowledge.

Fine dining server example responsibilities.

Schedule and prioritize workload while managing multiple tasks as a representative of this distinctive establishment frequent by wine enthusiasts.
Maintain Microsoft windows base computer system.
Work closely with management to implement new organizational systems to facilitate efficient wine service and inventory.
Craft featured cocktails and signature drinks when bartending.
Inform chefs if guests have any allergies or other requests.
Maintain cleanliness of work areas, china, glass, etc., throughout the day.

Waitstaff vs fine dining server skills

Common waitstaff skills

Food Service, 23%
Beverage Orders, 19%
Culinary, 19%
Team Work, 16%
Meal Orders, 8%
Wine, 3%

Common fine dining server skills

Wine, 27%
Fine Dining, 24%
Cleanliness, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Beverage Orders, 4%
POS, 4%

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Waitstaff vs Fine Dining Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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