Cafeteria worker vs kitchen worker

The differences between cafeteria workers and kitchen workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen worker has an average salary of $28,720, which is higher than the $24,465 average annual salary of a cafeteria worker.

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

Cafeteria worker vs kitchen worker overview

	Cafeteria Worker	Kitchen Worker
Yearly salary	$24,465	$28,720
Hourly rate	$11.76	$13.81
Growth rate	9%	2%
Number of jobs	31,802	86,773
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	39	37
Years of experience	-	-

Cafeteria worker vs kitchen worker salary

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

	Cafeteria Worker	Kitchen Worker
Average salary	$24,465	$28,720
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $32,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Yuba City, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Jefferson Elementary School District	Kemps
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Education

Differences between cafeteria worker and kitchen worker education

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

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

Cafeteria worker vs kitchen worker demographics

Here are the differences between cafeteria workers' and kitchen workers' demographics:

	Cafeteria Worker	Kitchen Worker
Average age	39	37
Gender ratio	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cafeteria worker and kitchen worker 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.

Kitchen worker example responsibilities.

Ensure cleanliness of surroundings and sterilization/sanitation of kitchen prep area and food trays.
Clean floors, dishes, stoves and pots.
Prepare for opening the next morning by cleaning and shutting down fryers and broiler.
Work well with other employees-Maintain cleanliness of areas assigned-perform a variety of services-follow property policies and procedures-oversee own responsibilities
Remove wash dishware, flatware, and glassware from dishwasher and stack them according to size and likeness for future use.
Sanitize heavy equipment including dishwasher, mixer and slicer.

Cafeteria worker vs kitchen worker skills

Common cafeteria worker skills

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

Common kitchen worker skills

Cleanliness, 17%
Food Handling, 13%
Kitchen Equipment, 12%
Food Service, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Patients, 8%

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Cafeteria Worker vs Kitchen Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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