How To Become A Cafeteria Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cafeteria assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a cafeteria assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.43 an hour? That's $30,012 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 372,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCafeteria AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $30,012

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 7.89%

Black or African American 10.55%

Hispanic or Latino 17.91%

Unknown 5.34%

White 57.23%

Gender

female 78.66%

male 21.34%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cafeteria assistant

Explore cafeteria assistant education requirements

Most common cafeteria assistant degrees

High School Diploma

39.9 %

Associate

22.9 %

Bachelor's

17.2 %

Start to develop specific cafeteria assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Equipment	18.54%
Cleanliness	14.63%
Food Handling	10.16%
Cash Handling	8.08%
BARS	6.13%

Complete relevant cafeteria assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cafeteria assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cafeteria assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cafeteria assistant resumes.

Gain additional cafeteria assistant certifications

Cafeteria assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific cafeteria assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for cafeteria assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research cafeteria assistant duties and responsibilities

Experience with HACCP and HSE.
Self-Motivate with strong planning, organizational, and leadership skills.
Operate electronic point-of-sale (POS) equipment such as cash registers, computers and keypads.
Balance receipts with POS, prepare funds for bank deposits and prepare bank deposit report.

Prepare your cafeteria assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cafeteria assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a cafeteria assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable cafeteria assistant resume templates

Build a professional cafeteria assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your cafeteria assistant resume.