Cafeteria worker vs bus person

The differences between cafeteria workers and bus people can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cafeteria worker has an average salary of $24,465, which is higher than the $24,058 average annual salary of a bus person.

The top three skills for a cafeteria worker include food handling, kitchen equipment and food preparation. The most important skills for a bus person are cleanliness, busperson, and service stations.

Cafeteria worker vs bus person overview

	Cafeteria Worker	Bus Person
Yearly salary	$24,465	$24,058
Hourly rate	$11.76	$11.57
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	31,802	47,277
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a cafeteria worker do?

A cafeteria worker is responsible for taking and processing customer orders, ensuring the correct foods are served, providing them the satisfaction of their dining experience. Cafeteria workers maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities, manage the adequacy of inventory stock supplies, coordinate with suppliers for deliveries, process payments, and help out the customers with their inquiries and concerns. A cafeteria worker should also assist the management in developing marketing techniques to boost revenues and increase profitability.

What does a bus person do?

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.

Cafeteria worker vs bus person salary

Cafeteria workers and bus people have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cafeteria Worker	Bus Person
Average salary	$24,465	$24,058
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $32,000	Between $15,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Yuba City, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	Maine
Best paying company	Jefferson Elementary School District	Maidstone Club
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between cafeteria worker and bus person education

There are a few differences between a cafeteria worker and a bus person in terms of educational background:

	Cafeteria Worker	Bus Person
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cafeteria worker vs bus person demographics

Here are the differences between cafeteria workers' and bus people' demographics:

	Cafeteria Worker	Bus Person
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%	Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cafeteria worker and bus person duties and responsibilities

Cafeteria worker example responsibilities.

Prepare food, operate dishwasher, manage salad bar, and cash out students, teachers, and faculty.
Clean grills, ovens, and stoves.
Help prepare food, set-up salad bars.
Set up and break down fryers and slicers.
Sanitize and clean equipment according to HACCP standards.
Sell food to student and operating the POS system.

Bus person example responsibilities.

Greet guests, escort them to their seats, and present them with menus and wine lists.
Take their orders down and put it into the pos system, make sure the guests are satisfy.
Wine knowledge and preparation of food emphasize
Maintain cleanliness and orderliness in dining area and perform miscellaneous duties for dishwashers and waiters/waitresses in restaurant.
Assist in serving students by following USDA guidelines and ensuring that their needs are recognize and acknowledge.

Cafeteria worker vs bus person skills

Common cafeteria worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Preparation, 16%
Customer Service, 4%
Dishwashers, 4%
Nutritious Meals, 3%

Common bus person skills

Cleanliness, 55%
Busperson, 8%
Service Stations, 3%
Excellent Guest, 3%
Customer Service, 3%
Table Service, 3%

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Cafeteria Worker vs Bus Person

Updated January 8, 2025

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