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The differences between bakery associates and food service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a bakery associate has an average salary of $28,963, which is higher than the $28,753 average annual salary of a food service worker.
The top three skills for a bakery associate include customer service, donuts and food preparation. The most important skills for a food service worker are food handling, safety standards, and customer service.
| Bakery Associate | Food Service Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $28,963 | $28,753 |
| Hourly rate | $13.92 | $13.82 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 52,105 | 169,323 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A bakery associate is responsible for assisting bakery chefs in producing baked goods and pastries, organizing the stock, maintaining the cleanliness of the storage area, and processing customers' orders and payments. Bakery associates monitor the inventory and request bakery ingredients and supplies from trusted suppliers and third-party vendors. They also pitch on recommending promotional campaigns and research on current bakery trends to update the menu, meeting public demands to increase sales and revenues. A bakery associate should have excellent communication and analytical skills to respond to customers' inquiries and operate the cash register.
Foodservice workers are employees at restaurants, food trucks, or any outlet that provides food to customers. They may be assigned to welcome customers, take food orders, prepare food orders in the kitchen, serve food, handle customer payments, clean up the tables once the guests leave, or maintain the whole store's cleanliness. They may also be assigned to manage inventories, handle stocks and deliveries, and other activities related to the restaurant's successful operations. Foodservice workers must always be hygienic and maintain the sanitation of the area to ensure food safety.
Bakery associates and food service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bakery Associate | Food Service Worker | |
| Average salary | $28,963 | $28,753 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $47,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Rich Products | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a bakery associate and a food service worker in terms of educational background:
| Bakery Associate | Food Service Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between bakery associates' and food service workers' demographics:
| Bakery Associate | Food Service Worker | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.5% Female, 77.5% | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |