Buffet attendant vs food service worker

The differences between buffet attendants and food service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service worker has an average salary of $28,753, which is higher than the $26,138 average annual salary of a buffet attendant.

The top three skills for a buffet attendant include cleanliness, food handling and buffet line. The most important skills for a food service worker are food handling, safety standards, and customer service.

Buffet attendant vs food service worker overview

	Buffet Attendant	Food Service Worker
Yearly salary	$26,138	$28,753
Hourly rate	$12.57	$13.82
Growth rate	9%	2%
Number of jobs	44,657	169,323
Job satisfaction	4	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	39	37
Years of experience	-	-

Buffet attendant vs food service worker salary

Buffet attendants and food service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Buffet Attendant	Food Service Worker
Average salary	$26,138	$28,753
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $33,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Saratoga Springs, NY	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Washington	Hawaii
Best paying company	Hyatt Hotels	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Retail

Differences between buffet attendant and food service worker education

There are a few differences between a buffet attendant and a food service worker in terms of educational background:

	Buffet Attendant	Food Service Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Buffet attendant vs food service worker demographics

Here are the differences between buffet attendants' and food service workers' demographics:

	Buffet Attendant	Food Service Worker
Average age	39	37
Gender ratio	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.1% 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%

Differences between buffet attendant and food service worker duties and responsibilities

Buffet attendant example responsibilities.

Manage VIP's with personal requirements and assist in their room set up and hospitality experience.
Maintain cleanliness of equipment, tables, utensils, and floors to ensure safety, and sanitation regulations are meet.
Maintain cleanliness and temperature log.
Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
Lift raw materials, finish products, and pack items, manually or using hoists.

Food service worker example responsibilities.

Volunteer at rehabilitation center/ nursing home escorting and communicating with the patients.
Learned how to do math quickly and efficiently.
Demonstrate money-handling and math skills in processing payments for orders.
Prepare all food stuffs, roasting meats, baking cookies, preparing salads.
Work in full compliance with values of compassion, dignity, excellence, integrity, and team work.
Install and maintain HVAC systems which include walkin coolers and freezers, reach-ins and pass thru and a/c systems

Buffet attendant vs food service worker skills

Common buffet attendant skills

Cleanliness, 21%
Food Handling, 20%
Buffet Line, 8%
Buffets, 6%
Culinary, 6%
Wine, 6%

Common food service worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Safety Standards, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Patients, 7%
Cash Control, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Buffet Attendant
Buffet Attendant vs Food Service Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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