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

What is a cafeteria worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Have you ever thought about what makes the cafeteria such a deliciously, refreshing place? It's not only food or ambiance but a whole Cafeteria team that works in harmony to comfort you. They take orders, clean the tables, cook, and serve food to you, and are always there at your call.

There is no specific education or course required to be a Cafeteria Worker, unless you want to cook. If you are educated but jobless, this is the best job you can opt for without giving a second thought. You can earn $10.81 per hour, enough to help pay your bills. You might also meet some highly qualified cafeteria workers. Why not opt for this as a part-time job to earn some extra dollars.

Although a Cafeteria Worker can work for 43 hours a week, you can extend your working hours depending on your performance. Cooking, serving, or cleaning, and other tasks fall into the role of a cafeteria worker, just be sure to smile to please your guests.

ScoreCafeteria WorkerUS Average

Salary

1.9

Avg. Salary $24,465

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.02%

Asian 7.01%

Black or African American 11.68%

Hispanic or Latino 13.55%

Unknown 5.18%

White 61.56%

Gender

female 79.60%

male 20.40%

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 worker

Explore cafeteria worker education requirements

Most common cafeteria worker degrees

High School Diploma

45.3 %

Associate

17.6 %

Bachelor's

17.2 %

Start to develop specific cafeteria worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Food Handling	21.81%
Kitchen Equipment	20.08%
Food Preparation	16.40%
Customer Service	4.42%
Dishwashers	3.88%

Complete relevant cafeteria worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cafeteria workers 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 worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cafeteria worker resumes.

Research cafeteria worker duties and 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.

Prepare your cafeteria worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cafeteria worker 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 worker 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 worker resume templates

Build a professional cafeteria worker 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 worker resume.