Caterer vs decorator

The differences between caterers and decorators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a decorator has an average salary of $32,136, which is higher than the $28,891 average annual salary of a caterer.

The top three skills for a caterer include food service, kitchen equipment and food delivery. The most important skills for a decorator are customer service, product knowledge, and in-home.

Caterer vs decorator overview

	Caterer	Decorator
Yearly salary	$28,891	$32,136
Hourly rate	$13.89	$15.45
Growth rate	10%	3%
Number of jobs	1,648	1,847
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	-

Caterer vs decorator salary

Caterers and decorators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Caterer	Decorator
Average salary	$28,891	$32,136
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $36,000	Between $23,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Beverly, MA	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	The College of St. Scholastica	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between caterer and decorator education

There are a few differences between a caterer and a decorator in terms of educational background:

	Caterer	Decorator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Caterer vs decorator demographics

Here are the differences between caterers' and decorators' demographics:

	Caterer	Decorator
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0%	Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	4%

Differences between caterer and decorator duties and responsibilities

Caterer example responsibilities.

Help serve foods from buffet to ADM employees.
Plan and prepare meals for the local Headstart program.
Set up's and breaking down of parties, service, bartending
Set up tables, action stations, buffets, service carts, dessert table/carts and cordial carts.
Serve and wait on diners in traditional sit-down meal settings as well as buffets and drink bars.
Perform bartending for many events, often individually.

Decorator example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness and area sanitation in accordance with company practices and regulatory requirements.
Develop mixed bake and decorate specialty cakes and cupcakes.

Caterer vs decorator skills

Common caterer skills

Food Service, 28%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Delivery, 8%
Banquet Service, 7%
Bartending, 5%
Fine Dining, 4%

Common decorator skills

Customer Service, 20%
Product Knowledge, 19%
In-Home, 13%
Bakery Products, 11%
Safety Regulations, 10%
Display Cases, 8%

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Caterer vs Decorator

Updated January 8, 2025

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