Diet clerk vs food prep/dishwasher

The differences between diet clerks and food prep/dishwashers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a diet clerk has an average salary of $31,802, which is higher than the $29,964 average annual salary of a food prep/dishwasher.

The top three skills for a diet clerk include patients, allergies and tube feedings. The most important skills for a food prep/dishwasher are food preparation equipment, work ethic, and wash dishes.

Diet clerk vs food prep/dishwasher overview

	Diet Clerk	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$31,802	$29,964
Hourly rate	$15.29	$14.41
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	68,546	113,200
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a diet clerk do?

A diet clerk is an assistant who serves meals to patients as well as assists in various processes that are related to the preparation and delivery of meals. Diet clerks must create cafeteria menu items while analyzing the nutritional values of the food that is served. They are required to check food production and food service to ensure proper procedures are always followed and maintained. Diet clerks must also supervise food service workers as well as provide training for them.

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.

Diet clerk vs food prep/dishwasher salary

Diet clerks and food prep/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Diet Clerk	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average salary	$31,802	$29,964
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Washington
Best paying company	University of Washington	University of Wisconsin System
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Professional

Differences between diet clerk and food prep/dishwasher education

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

	Diet Clerk	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Dietetics	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Diet clerk vs food prep/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between diet clerks' and food prep/dishwashers' demographics:

	Diet Clerk	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 13.0% Female, 87.0%	Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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 diet clerk and food prep/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

Diet clerk example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Assist patients with making menu choices in an informative and helpful fashion and keep track of patient's allergies and diet changes
Demonstrate ability to adjust patient menus base on food preferences, allergies, disease/condition according to physician specifications.
Develop and apply creative problem-solving methods for patients challenge with specialize diet regiments.
Experience hospital representative directly responsible for counseling and assisting patients on nutritional care and management.
Prepare confidential reports, PowerPoint presentations, correspondence, organizational charts and other documents as required.

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

Diet clerk vs food prep/dishwasher skills

Common diet clerk skills

Patients, 29%
Allergies, 10%
Tube Feedings, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Menu Selections, 8%
Food Service, 8%

Common food prep/dishwasher skills

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

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Diet Clerk
Diet Clerk vs Food Prep/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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