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Deli clerk vs food service worker

The differences between deli clerks and food service workers 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 $28,753 average annual salary of a food service worker.

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

Deli clerk vs food service worker overview

Deli ClerkFood Service Worker
Yearly salary$32,240$28,753
Hourly rate$15.50$13.82
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs69,311169,323
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%High School Diploma, 44%
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 worker do?

Foodservice workers are employees at restaurants, food trucks, or any outlet that provides food to customers. They may be assigned to welcome customers, take food orders, prepare food orders in the kitchen, serve food, handle customer payments, clean up the tables once the guests leave, or maintain the whole store's cleanliness. They may also be assigned to manage inventories, handle stocks and deliveries, and other activities related to the restaurant's successful operations. Foodservice workers must always be hygienic and maintain the sanitation of the area to ensure food safety.

Deli clerk vs food service worker salary

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

Deli ClerkFood Service Worker
Average salary$32,240$28,753
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $43,000Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAUrban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying stateWashingtonHawaii
Best paying companyUnited Natural FoodsUniversity of California, Berkeley
Best paying industryRetailRetail

Differences between deli clerk and food service worker education

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

Deli ClerkFood Service Worker
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%High School Diploma, 44%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Deli clerk vs food service worker demographics

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

Deli ClerkFood Service Worker
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 39.6% Female, 60.4%Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between deli clerk and food service worker 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 worker example responsibilities.

  • Volunteer at rehabilitation center/ nursing home escorting and communicating with the patients.
  • Learned how to do math quickly and efficiently.
  • Demonstrate money-handling and math skills in processing payments for orders.
  • Prepare all food stuffs, roasting meats, baking cookies, preparing salads.
  • Work in full compliance with values of compassion, dignity, excellence, integrity, and team work.
  • Install and maintain HVAC systems which include walkin coolers and freezers, reach-ins and pass thru and a/c systems
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Deli clerk vs food service worker 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 worker skills
  • Food Handling, 22%
  • Safety Standards, 9%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Cash Control, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%

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