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The differences between dietary assistants and food service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service worker has an average salary of $28,753, which is higher than the $28,234 average annual salary of a dietary assistant.
The top three skills for a dietary assistant include patients, food service and meal trays. The most important skills for a food service worker are food handling, safety standards, and customer service.
| Dietary Assistant | Food Service Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $28,234 | $28,753 |
| Hourly rate | $13.57 | $13.82 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 12,812 | 169,323 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A dietary assistant is in charge of the food preparation of individuals in various settings. Dietary aides, dietary assistants cook food, check the compliance of proper procedure in safety and health measures, and maintain a clean environment in the kitchen. The assistants may work part-time or full-time, and during holidays, weekends, or evenings to accommodate customers. People in this position are expected to have experience in food preparation, strong teamwork, and customer-oriented approaches.
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.
Dietary assistants and food service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dietary Assistant | Food Service Worker | |
| Average salary | $28,234 | $28,753 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Lifespan | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Retail |
There are a few differences between a dietary assistant and a food service worker in terms of educational background:
| Dietary Assistant | Food Service Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dietary assistants' and food service workers' demographics:
| Dietary Assistant | Food Service Worker | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 Percentage | 6% | 6% |