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Deli clerk vs food service assistant

The differences between deli clerks and food service assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a deli clerk has an average salary of $32,240, which is higher than the $29,354 average annual salary of a food service assistant.

The top three skills for a deli clerk include help support, basic math and excellent guest. The most important skills for a food service assistant are patients, customer service, and food handling.

Deli clerk vs food service assistant overview

Deli ClerkFood Service Assistant
Yearly salary$32,240$29,354
Hourly rate$15.50$14.11
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs69,311149,665
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age3737
Years of experience--

What does a deli clerk do?

A deli clerk is responsible for providing healthy food recommendations to the customers, assisting them with their inquiries, and providing special offers. Deli clerks' duties include maintaining the highest sanitation procedures within the working area, updating the customers with the products' promotions, updating displays regularly, researching the latest market trends for product recommendations, and adhering to the company's safety standards and regulations. A deli clerk must have impeccable customer service and communication skills to ensure customer satisfaction while meeting the company's objectives and sales goals.

What does a food service assistant do?

A food service assistant helps in food and beverage preparation and serving customers. Foodservice assistants make sure that great customer service is provided to clients. Their duties include answering phone calls for inquiries, providing information, selling products, and solving problems. They may function as cashiers in restaurants or any other food service institution. Upon receiving customer complaints, they escalate them to top management. This job requires people skills, communication skills, and food service knowledge.

Deli clerk vs food service assistant salary

Deli clerks and food service assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Deli ClerkFood Service Assistant
Average salary$32,240$29,354
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $43,000Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASpringfield, MA
Highest paying stateWashingtonMassachusetts
Best paying companyUnited Natural FoodsFremont Public Schools
Best paying industryRetailRetail

Differences between deli clerk and food service assistant education

There are a few differences between a deli clerk and a food service assistant in terms of educational background:

Deli ClerkFood Service Assistant
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Deli clerk vs food service assistant demographics

Here are the differences between deli clerks' and food service assistants' demographics:

Deli ClerkFood Service Assistant
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 39.6% Female, 60.4%Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.5% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 8.7% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between deli clerk and food service assistant duties and responsibilities

Deli clerk example responsibilities.

  • Open and close deli; schedule work hour coverage; manage and monitor deli cleanliness code; customer service.
  • Break down pallets in freeze and take seafood orders from customers to be either season or weight up.
  • Handle equipment such as fryers and slicers as well as used store intercoms to announce weekly / daily specials and promotions.
  • Operate automatic and manual meat/cheese slicers to customer request.
  • Break down heavy pallets of cases, boxes and bags.
  • Work with equipment such as balers, pallet jacks, slicers, ovens.
  • Show more

Food service assistant example responsibilities.

  • Sanitize rooms per OSHA requirements.
  • Perform regular station audits in accordance to OSHA guidelines.
  • Experience includes bag room, mail/cargo, ramp, and De-icing.
  • Maintain cleanliness of kitchenware and food preparation areas in a fast-pace restaurant kitchen.
  • Streamline kitchen processes for this fast-pace environment, maintaining cleanliness and safe equipment operation.
  • Monitor radio and delivery system by annotating order tickets resulting in satisfy and hunger free patients.
  • Show more

Deli clerk vs food service assistant skills

Common deli clerk skills
  • Help Support, 24%
  • Basic Math, 22%
  • Excellent Guest, 9%
  • Slicers, 7%
  • Hot Food, 4%
  • Deli Meats, 4%
Common food service assistant skills
  • Patients, 12%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Food Handling, 9%
  • Basic Math, 8%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 7%
  • Safety Standards, 6%

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