Deli worker vs food clerk

The differences between deli workers and food clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food clerk has an average salary of $29,967, which is higher than the $28,578 average annual salary of a deli worker.

The top three skills for a deli worker include premier customer service, food safety and customer service. The most important skills for a food clerk are wine, basic math, and customer service.

Deli worker vs food clerk overview

	Deli Worker	Food Clerk
Yearly salary	$28,578	$29,967
Hourly rate	$13.74	$14.41
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,658	113,838
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a deli worker do?

A deli worker specializes in handling deli products and providing customer service in retail stores. They are primarily responsible for packaging and labeling products according to their weight and type, assigning prices, sorting out quality, and arranging them on display, all while following food safety and health guidelines. They must also respond to inquiries, suggest products, resolve any issues or concerns, handle special orders, and maintain cleanliness and sanitation. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement all policies and regulations, maintaining a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

What does a food clerk do?

Food clerks are skilled employees who work either in grocery stores or supermarkets to assist customers with their food needs. In grocery stores, food clerks are required to scan food items for their customers and process their purchases as well as ensure that they have found everything they needed. They must assist in the store's inventory management by organizing and storing food merchandise in the backroom. Food clerks must also use their product knowledge to assist customers with questions and maintain customer satisfaction.

Deli worker vs food clerk salary

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

	Deli Worker	Food Clerk
Average salary	$28,578	$29,967
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $37,000	Between $14,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	Rhode Island
Best paying company	The Point Casino & Hotel	ShopRite
Best paying industry	Energy	Retail

Differences between deli worker and food clerk education

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

	Deli Worker	Food Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Deli worker vs food clerk demographics

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

	Deli Worker	Food Clerk
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6%	Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 7.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between deli worker and food clerk duties and responsibilities

Deli worker example responsibilities.

Open and close deli; schedule work hour coverage; manage and monitor deli cleanliness code; customer service.
Scan customers' groceries and accept payment.-Packaged, stock and take inventory of the deli salads.
Greet customers, keep check out area clean, bag groceries, and return buggies when need.
Experience in opening and closing procedures, cleaning fryers, doing dishes by hand and cash register use.
Wait on customers slice meat slice cheese working hard case fry foods put rotisseries in the rotisserie wash dishes clean slicers
Close down deli at night, clean dishes, take apart slicers to clean and sanitize per standards guide lines.

Food clerk example responsibilities.

Exemplify a model of excellent customer service in keeping with Publix's orientation towards ensuring customer satisfaction.
Open the new Goshen Kroger and assist in recruiting and training new staff.

Deli worker vs food clerk skills

Common deli worker skills

Premier Customer Service, 26%
Food Safety, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Deli Meats, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Safety Standards, 6%

Common food clerk skills

Wine, 24%
Basic Math, 22%
Customer Service, 12%
Taking Care, 11%
Stock Shelves, 4%
Store Shelves, 3%

Deli Worker vs. similar jobs

Deli Worker related careers

Deli Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Deli Worker
Deli Worker vs Food Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs