How to hire a dietary assistant

How to hire a dietary assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step dietary assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a dietary assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dietary assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a dietary assistant do?

Post a dietary assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a dietary assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A dietary assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, dietary assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of dietary assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Dietary Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Dietary Assistant	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	$10-16
   Food Service Worker	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... Show more	$10-17
   Food Prep/Dishwasher	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... Show more	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Food Service
   • Meal Trays
   • Food Handling
   • Food Preparation
   • Customer Service
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Tray Line
   • Compassion
   • Food Trays
   • Diet Orders
   • Food Carts
   • Meal Service
   • Cleanliness

   Check all skills

   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.

   More dietary assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the dietary assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A dietary assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a dietary assistant in Oklahoma may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level dietary assistant. Additionally, a dietary assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average dietary assistant salary

   $13.57hourly

   $28,234 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level dietary assistant salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average dietary assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$35,084	$17
   2	New York	$32,465	$16
   3	Massachusetts	$31,950	$15
   4	Colorado	$31,011	$15
   5	Connecticut	$30,281	$15
   6	Minnesota	$29,232	$14
   7	Michigan	$29,031	$14
   8	Maryland	$28,006	$13
   9	Illinois	$26,925	$13
   10	Wisconsin	$25,955	$12
   11	Iowa	$25,751	$12
   12	Florida	$25,147	$12
   13	Ohio	$24,530	$12
   14	Indiana	$24,176	$12
   15	North Carolina	$23,026	$11
   16	Kentucky	$23,012	$11
   17	Georgia	$20,363	$10
   18	Alabama	$18,643	$9
   19	Louisiana	$18,202	$9

   Average dietary assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lifespan	$36,126	$17.37
   2	Trinity Health	$31,517	$15.15	48
   3	Lane Regional Medical Center	$30,911	$14.86	4
   4	Beaumont Health	$30,756	$14.79
   5	HealthTrust	$30,395	$14.61
   6	LifePoint Health	$30,302	$14.57
   7	Woodside Senior Communities	$29,982	$14.41	1
   8	RHA Health Services	$29,497	$14.18	6
   9	W Holding Company	$29,460	$14.16
   10	East Boston Neighborhood Health Center	$29,432	$14.15
   11	Universal Health Services	$29,426	$14.15	51
   12	Eastern Niagara Hospital	$29,262	$14.07
   13	Providence Health & Services	$29,224	$14.05	2
   14	Life Care Centers of America	$29,178	$14.03	53
   15	Neighborhood Healthcare	$29,143	$14.01
   16	Samaritas	$28,965	$13.93
   17	King's Daughters Medical Center	$28,928	$13.91	1
   18	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$28,792	$13.84
   19	Johns Hopkins Medicine	$28,726	$13.81	1
   20	American Senior Benefits	$28,682	$13.79	2

4. Writing a dietary assistant job description

   A good dietary assistant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a dietary assistant job description:

   Dietary assistant job description example

   $1,000 SIGN-ON BONUS! Parkside, a DePaul Community Residence, is now hiring a full-time Dietary Assistant! The Dietary Assistant works under the direction of the Dietary director and the Cook to ensure that all functions of the dietary department are completed in a timely and effective manner. This full-time position is eligible for the following benefits: Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Generous PTO & Paid Holidays, 403B Employer Contribution, Employee Discount Programs, and Staff Recognition Programs. Responsibilities Listens and responds to resident's request in a prompt and courteous manner. Sees that all resident's needs are met while providing a positive dining experience (as per respect policy).
   
   Handles all food dishes and utensils according to agency standards and health and safety regulations. This includes sanitizing of all dining room service ware, trays and carts.
   
   Assures that all work and storage areas are kept in a neat and sanitary condition.
   
   Responsible for proper waste disposal and maintaining sanitary waste receptacles, dumpster areas and department trashcans.
   
   Responsible for sweeping and mopping work areas and dining room.
   
   Responsible for dishwashing and cleaning of pots, pans, trays and any and all dishware in the kitchen.
   
   Responsible for the set up and break down of the hot and cold tables before and after each meal.
   
   Responsible for ensuring that all food utensils are readily available for each meal.
   
   Responsible for the cleanliness of all service areas to include hot, cold, beverage and dishwashing stations.
   
   Assists cooks with the preparation and serving of all meals and desserts.
   
   Responsible for the security of all dietary items and the prevention of loss from staff, residents and the public.
   
   Follows all food safety protocols when storing and disposing left over food.
   
   Participates in staff meetings and in-services.
   
   Follows all safety rules and regulations for self, residents and staff. Wears attire suitable and safe for position.
   
   Performs any other duties necessary for the effective operation of the programs. Qualifications Education / Experience : Experience in high volume food service is desirable. Work Environment This position is Friday- Tuesday, 10:00am-6:30pm.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right dietary assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your dietary assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit dietary assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit dietary assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new dietary assistant

   Once you've selected the best dietary assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new dietary assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a dietary assistant?