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What does a cafeteria assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a cafeteria assistant do
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Cafeteria assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real cafeteria assistant resumes:

  • 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.
  • Maintain and submit accurate information for payroll reporting.
  • Hand wash all plates and bowls and stack in rack rinse off then send through dishwasher.
  • Operate dishwasher and sanitation equipment.
  • Make sure students with special needs as for allergies and special eating are satisfy.
  • Supervise students in cafeterias, halls, classrooms, and on special trips.
  • Assist in serving students by following USDA guidelines and ensuring that their needs are recognize and acknowledge.

Cafeteria assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 19% of Cafeteria Assistants are proficient in Kitchen Equipment, Cleanliness, and Food Handling.

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

  • Kitchen Equipment, 19%

    Slice and use kitchen equipment, assist kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, perform multiple task, time management

  • Cleanliness, 15%

    Maintained cleanliness of cafeteria lobby so that each guest could enjoy their meals in sanitary and inviting environment.

  • Food Handling, 10%

    Inspect food preparation and serving areas to ensure observance of safe, sanitary, food handling practices.

  • Cash Handling, 8%

    Assist in daily prep of food, serving, and cash handling Kitchen maintenance

  • BARS, 6%

    Stocked supplies in serving stations, cupboards,refrigerators, and salad bars.

  • Lunch Meals, 5%

    Assist with the preparation and serving of breakfast & lunch meals.

Common skills that a cafeteria assistant uses to do their job include "kitchen equipment," "cleanliness," and "food handling." You can find details on the most important cafeteria assistant responsibilities below.

Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a cafeteria assistant to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what cafeteria assistants do because "food service establishments rely on good food and customer service to keep customers and succeed in a competitive industry." Additionally, a cafeteria assistant resume shows how cafeteria assistants use customer-service skills: "assisted with preparation of food organized and maintained cleanliness of cafeteria provided constant service to customers"

Physical strength. Another essential skill to perform cafeteria assistant duties is physical strength. Cafeteria assistants responsibilities require 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." Cafeteria assistants also use physical strength in their role according to a real resume snippet: "monitor lunch lines and students' verbal and physical actions to ensure an orderly and efficient delivery of lunch items. "

Most common cafeteria assistant skills

The three companies that hire the most cafeteria assistants are:

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Compare different cafeteria assistants

Cafeteria assistant 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.

If we compare the average cafeteria assistant annual salary with that of a bus boy, we find that bus boys typically earn a $5,580 lower salary than cafeteria assistants make annually.Even though cafeteria assistants and bus boys are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require dishwashers, cafeterias, and clean environment in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between cafeteria assistants and bus boy. For instance, cafeteria assistant responsibilities require skills such as "kitchen equipment," "cleanliness," "food handling," and "cash 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 earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $26,928. On the other hand, cafeteria assistants are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $29,999.On average, bus boys reach similar levels of education than cafeteria assistants. Bus boys are 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Cafeteria assistant 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, dining room servers earn a $472 lower salary than cafeteria assistants a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both cafeteria assistants and dining room servers have skills such as "cleanliness," "food handling," and "bars. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real cafeteria assistant resumes. While cafeteria assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "kitchen equipment," "cash handling," "lunch meals," and "food products," dining room servers use skills like "fine dining," "food service," "wine," and "beverage orders."

Dining room servers earn a lower average salary than cafeteria assistants. But dining room servers earn the highest pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $29,758. Additionally, cafeteria assistants earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $29,999 annually.In general, dining room servers achieve similar levels of education than cafeteria assistants. They're 0.7% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Cafeteria assistant 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.

On average, bussers earn lower salaries than cafeteria assistants, with a $5,901 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on cafeteria assistants and bussers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "cleanliness," "food handling," and "dishwashers.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a cafeteria assistant is likely to be skilled in "kitchen equipment," "cash handling," "bars," and "lunch meals," while a typical busser is skilled in "work ethic," "tip," "bus tables," and "wine."

Bussers make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $25,199. On the other hand, cafeteria assistants are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $29,999.Most bussers achieve a similar degree level compared to cafeteria assistants. For example, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Cafeteria assistant vs. Dining room coordinator

Dining room coordinators tend to earn a higher pay than cafeteria assistants by an average of $3,332 per year.While their salaries may vary, cafeteria assistants and dining room coordinators both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "food safety," "pos," and "inventory control. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A cafeteria assistant uses "kitchen equipment," "cleanliness," "food handling," and "cash handling." Dining room coordinators are more likely to have duties that require skills in "reservations," "in-room," "front desk," and "wine. "In general, dining room coordinators hold similar degree levels compared to cafeteria assistants. Dining room coordinators are 3.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of cafeteria assistant

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.

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