Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between catering associates and catering coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a catering coordinator has an average salary of $34,576, which is higher than the $31,648 average annual salary of a catering associate.
The top three skills for a catering associate include patients, tray assembly and allergies. The most important skills for a catering coordinator are food service, customer service, and food preparation.
| Catering Associate | Catering Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $31,648 | $34,576 |
| Hourly rate | $15.22 | $16.62 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 3,045 | 19,607 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A catering associate is in charge of serving food and beverages to guests at special events, ensuring client satisfaction. Although their duties can vary upon the tasks assigned by managers, it usually includes taking and processing orders, maintaining buffets in good condition, monitoring supplies to ensure they are adequate, refilling food and beverage stations, and assisting guests courteously. They also participate in preparing meals and venues, loading and unloading supplies from trucks, organizing tables and utensils, and maintaining the cleanliness of areas.
A catering coordinator's role is to oversee and manage food services in gatherings for special events, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and meeting with clients to learn their preferences, liaising with suppliers, managing schedules and inventory, and providing cost estimates. On the actual event, a catering coordinator is also responsible for welcoming guests, responding to any inquiries and concerns, resolving issues and urgent matters, and ensuring that everything is running smoothly. Furthermore, it is essential to lead and encourage the catering team while implementing all food and health policies and standards.
Catering associates and catering coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Catering Associate | Catering Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $31,648 | $34,576 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $38,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bay Shore, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a catering associate and a catering coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Catering Associate | Catering Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between catering associates' and catering coordinators' demographics:
| Catering Associate | Catering Coordinator | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6% | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 10% |