Post job

What does a cafeteria aide do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a cafeteria aide do
On this page

Cafeteria aide responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real cafeteria aide resumes:

  • Check station before, during, and after shift for proper set-up and cleanliness.
  • Maintain cleanliness within the facility standards and objectives.
  • Organize trays, plates, cups, and flatware into dish washing racks and pass them to dishwasher.
  • Operate a dishwasher; ensures that trays are properly wash and sanitize and return to the serving line.
  • Assist in serving students by following USDA guidelines and ensuring that their needs are recognize and acknowledge.

Cafeteria aide skills and personality traits

We calculated that 29% of Cafeteria Aides are proficient in Patients, Dishes, and Cleanliness. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Physical strength.

We break down the percentage of Cafeteria Aides that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 29%

    Distributed food trays to patients in the facility.

  • Dishes, 13%

    Washed over 200+ dishes per meal, helped with food prep, used a commercial dishwasher and meat slicer.

  • Cleanliness, 11%

    Maintained cleanliness within the facility standards and objectives.

  • Food Handling, 11%

    Maintain safe and sanitary work area and food handling technique.

  • Cash Handling, 7%

    Fast, accurate and efficient cash handling, serving up to 400 customers a shift.

  • Food Safety, 6%

    Practiced according to standards related to food safety and sanitation.

Common skills that a cafeteria aide uses to do their job include "patients," "dishes," and "cleanliness." You can find details on the most important cafeteria aide responsibilities below.

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a cafeteria aide to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what cafeteria aides do because "food and beverage serving and related workers must listen to customers’ orders and relay them correctly to the kitchen staff so that the orders are prepared as requested." Additionally, a cafeteria aide resume shows how cafeteria aides use communication skills: "cashier, food preparation, communication and sales. "

Customer-service skills. Many cafeteria aide duties rely on customer-service skills. "food service establishments rely on good food and customer service to keep customers and succeed in a competitive industry," so a cafeteria aide will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways cafeteria aide responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "performed dishwasher duties performed serving.skills usedcustomer services, able to lift up to 50 pounds, bar code scanning"

Physical strength. This is an important skill for cafeteria aides to perform their duties. For an example of how cafeteria aide responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "food and beverage serving and related workers need to be able to lift and carry stock and equipment that can weigh up to 50 pounds." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a cafeteria aide: "follow all food safety rules,also follow all physical safety rules. ".

See the full list of cafeteria aide skills

The three companies that hire the most cafeteria aides are:

Choose from 10+ customizable cafeteria aide resume templates

Build a professional cafeteria aide resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your cafeteria aide resume.
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume
Cafeteria Aide Resume

Compare different cafeteria aides

Cafeteria aide vs. Bus boy

The job of busboys is to assist other staff members at a restaurant by doing varied tasks. These include greeting customers, cleaning and resetting tables, and removing dishes after customers leave. Other tasks include cleaning furniture, fixtures, and kitchen equipment, and tidying up any spills and mopping the floors. Busboys are also responsible for ensuring the availability of clean dining materials such as flatware and glasses. The requirements needed for this role may include a high school diploma, previous work experience, and excellent communication and customer service skills.

We looked at the average cafeteria aide salary and compared it with the wages of a bus boy. Generally speaking, bus boys are paid $846 lower than cafeteria aides per year.Even though cafeteria aides and bus boys are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require facilitate customer service, clean tables, and food service in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between cafeteria aides and bus boy. For instance, cafeteria aide responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "dishes," "cleanliness," and "food handling." Whereas a bus boy is skilled in "customer service," "bus tables," "clean linen," and "ice water." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Bus boys tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $26,928. In contrast, cafeteria aides make the biggest average salary, $28,444, in the health care industry.bus boys tend to reach similar levels of education than cafeteria aides. In fact, bus boys are 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Cafeteria aide vs. Bus person

A Bus Person performs a variety of support while maintaining an active communication line with staff. They typically clean and set tables, unload ingredient deliveries, re-stock tableware and linen, prepare condiments and beverages, and maintain side stations. At times, they must greet customers and escort them to their seats, pick up food from the kitchen, and participate in serving food to customers, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction.

A career as a bus person brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a cafeteria aide. In fact, bus people salary is $1,220 lower than the salary of cafeteria aides per year.A few skills overlap for cafeteria aides and bus people. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "cleanliness," "facilitate customer service," and "clean tables. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real cafeteria aide resumes. While cafeteria aide responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "dishes," "food handling," and "cash handling," bus people use skills like "busperson," "service stations," "excellent guest," and "customer service."

Bus people may earn a lower salary than cafeteria aides, but bus people earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $25,201. On the other hand, cafeteria aides receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $28,444.In general, bus people achieve similar levels of education than cafeteria aides. They're 0.5% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Cafeteria aide vs. Dining room server

A dining room server performs various tasks to give patrons a positive dining experience. Their job usually entails greeting customers and presenting the menu, taking their orders, answering inquiries, recommending products and other services, serving drinks and food, and handling concerns professionally and courteously. They are also responsible for coordinating with cashiers and kitchen staff, cleaning and preparing tables for new customers, and assisting staff as needed. In some establishments, a dining room server may also participate in preparing drinks or ingredients, monitoring supply inventories, and collecting payments.

On average scale, dining room servers bring in higher salaries than cafeteria aides. In fact, they earn a $4,262 higher salary per year.cafeteria aides and dining room servers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cleanliness," "food handling," and "clean tables," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from cafeteria aide resumes include skills like "patients," "dishes," "cash handling," and "food safety," whereas a dining room server is more likely to list skills in "fine dining," "wine," "beverage orders," and "senior care. "

Dining room servers earn the best pay in the hospitality industry, where they command an average salary of $29,758. Cafeteria aides earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $28,444.Most dining room servers achieve a similar degree level compared to cafeteria aides. For example, they're 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Cafeteria aide vs. Busser

Busser, also known as dining room attendants or bartender helpers, is an entry-level position in the restaurant and dining industry. The bussers help in preparing the dining areas before guests arrive and decorating tables with a set of candles, napkins, linens, flowers, or other ornaments, especially if with a special theme for the day, usually when it's a national celebration or holidays. Also, they assist in cleaning the tables, clearing plates, used utensils, drinkware, and other dishes to the kitchen to be washed, refilling diners' glasses with water, and make the tables ready for the next set of service.

Bussers typically earn lower pay than cafeteria aides. On average, bussers earn a $1,167 lower salary per year.According to resumes from cafeteria aides and bussers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "cleanliness," "food handling," and "facilitate customer service. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between cafeteria aides and bussers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a cafeteria aide might have more use for skills like "patients," "dishes," "cash handling," and "food safety." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of bussers require skills like "work ethic," "tip," "bus tables," and "wine. "

Bussers enjoy the best pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $25,199. For comparison, cafeteria aides earn the highest salary in the health care industry.The average resume of bussers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to cafeteria aides. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of cafeteria aide

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs