Deli worker vs food prep/dishwasher

The differences between deli workers and food prep/dishwashers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food prep/dishwasher has an average salary of $29,964, 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 prep/dishwasher are food preparation equipment, work ethic, and wash dishes.

Deli worker vs food prep/dishwasher overview

	Deli Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$28,578	$29,964
Hourly rate	$13.74	$14.41
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,658	113,200
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 58%
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 prep/dishwasher do?

A food prep/dishwasher's role is to perform food preparation and cleaning duties in a kitchen, under the supervision and directives of a chef or manager. One of their primary responsibilities is washing dishes, sanitizing utensils, and preparing ingredients by washing, peeling, and cutting them according to size. They may also participate in organizing, sorting, and putting them in proper storage. There are also instances when they have to perform basic cooking tasks ranging from boiling and frying to baking. Furthermore, a food prep/dishwasher may have the duty of maintaining the kitchen's cleanliness and other areas.

Deli worker vs food prep/dishwasher salary

Deli workers and food prep/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Deli Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average salary	$28,578	$29,964
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $37,000	Between $24,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	The Point Casino & Hotel	University of Wisconsin System
Best paying industry	Energy	Professional

Differences between deli worker and food prep/dishwasher education

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

	Deli Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Deli worker vs food prep/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between deli workers' and food prep/dishwashers' demographics:

	Deli Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6%	Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between deli worker and food prep/dishwasher 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 prep/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Prep food items and refrigerate appropriately, maintain cleanliness of restaurant, wash all dishes associate with the daily operations
Operate industrial dishwasher ensuring sanitation of all dishes.
Operate dishwasher keep kitchen clean organize and sanitize.
Take proper care of ranges, ovens, broilers, fryers, griddles, utensils and other equipment.
Gain knowledge of how to use kitchen tools such as blenders, fryers, coffee maker, and food processor.
Make smoothies, clean up after every smoothie, clean whole store, prep fruits and juices

Deli worker vs food prep/dishwasher 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 prep/dishwasher skills

Food Preparation Equipment, 17%
Work Ethic, 17%
Wash Dishes, 14%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Service, 9%
Dishwashers, 8%

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 Prep/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs