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Dietary assistant vs kitchen assistant

The differences between dietary assistants and kitchen assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dietary assistant has an average salary of $28,234, which is higher than the $27,455 average annual salary of a kitchen assistant.

The top three skills for a dietary assistant include patients, food service and meal trays. The most important skills for a kitchen assistant are wine, kitchen equipment, and POS.

Dietary assistant vs kitchen assistant overview

Dietary AssistantKitchen Assistant
Yearly salary$28,234$27,455
Hourly rate$13.57$13.20
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs12,81278,120
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 39%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age3737
Years of experience--

What does a dietary assistant do?

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.

What does a kitchen assistant do?

A kitchen assistant is responsible for assisting chefs, cooks, or managers. Most of the duties are given by supervising officers, and it will revolve around preparing ingredients, cutting or washing meat and vegetables, and performing basic cooking tasks such as boiling and frying. A kitchen assistant is also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen, washing used materials, sanitizing utensils, organizing food inventory. Other tasks include unloading deliveries of food supplies and sorting the ingredients accordingly.

Dietary assistant vs kitchen assistant salary

Dietary assistants and kitchen assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Dietary AssistantKitchen Assistant
Average salary$28,234$27,455
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $35,000Between $21,000 And $35,000
Highest paying CityEverett, WAMinneapolis, MN
Highest paying stateWashingtonAlaska
Best paying companyLifespanUniversity of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industryHospitalityConstruction

Differences between dietary assistant and kitchen assistant education

There are a few differences between a dietary assistant and a kitchen assistant in terms of educational background:

Dietary AssistantKitchen Assistant
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 39%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Dietary assistant vs kitchen assistant demographics

Here are the differences between dietary assistants' and kitchen assistants' demographics:

Dietary AssistantKitchen Assistant
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 29.4% Female, 70.6%Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between dietary assistant and kitchen assistant duties and responsibilities

Dietary assistant example responsibilities.

  • Prepare trays for patients within the hospital's care, taking into consideration dietary requirements and allergies.
  • Enhance communication skills by providing assistance, companionship and compassion to patients.
  • Prepare and serve food to visitors and staff upholding HACCP standards.
  • Insure that patient s food allergies, and intolerance are taken care of and note.
  • Provide janitorial services to maintain high safety standards and cleanliness.
  • Develop and deliver exceptional meal services to all patients and visitors through cafeteria operations and individual deliveries.
  • Show more

Kitchen assistant example responsibilities.

  • Assist the catering manager to manage, prepare, cook and deliver each day s caterings.
  • Prepare and store vegetables; maintain cleanliness and organization of kitchen; observe food safety and health regulations
  • Mix water with detergents and acids to prepare cleaning solutions according to specifications, general cleanliness according to safety and company guidelines
  • Operate dishwasher and train volunteers.
  • Maintain the dishwasher and efficiently clean kitchenware.
  • Skil in grilling, roasting, steaming, platting individual and buffet style.
  • Show more

Dietary assistant vs kitchen assistant skills

Common dietary assistant skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Food Service, 11%
  • Meal Trays, 9%
  • Food Handling, 8%
  • Food Preparation, 7%
  • Customer Service, 7%
Common kitchen assistant skills
  • Wine, 17%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 15%
  • POS, 15%
  • Culinary, 11%
  • Kitchen Operations, 8%
  • Cooking Equipment, 8%

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