Dining service inspector vs cafeteria worker

The differences between dining service inspectors and cafeteria workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dining service inspector has an average salary of $27,896, which is higher than the $24,465 average annual salary of a cafeteria worker.

The top three skills for a dining service inspector include dishes, culinary and food handling. The most important skills for a cafeteria worker are food handling, kitchen equipment, and food preparation.

Dining service inspector vs cafeteria worker overview

	Dining Service Inspector	Cafeteria Worker
Yearly salary	$27,896	$24,465
Hourly rate	$13.41	$11.76
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	34,358	31,802
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	45	39
Years of experience	6	-

Dining service inspector vs cafeteria worker salary

Dining service inspectors and cafeteria workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dining Service Inspector	Cafeteria Worker
Average salary	$27,896	$24,465
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $18,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	San Diego, CA	Yuba City, CA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Jefferson Elementary School District
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between dining service inspector and cafeteria worker education

There are a few differences between a dining service inspector and a cafeteria worker in terms of educational background:

	Dining Service Inspector	Cafeteria Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Dining service inspector vs cafeteria worker demographics

Here are the differences between dining service inspectors' and cafeteria workers' demographics:

	Dining Service Inspector	Cafeteria Worker
Average age	45	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between dining service inspector and cafeteria worker duties and responsibilities

Dining service inspector example responsibilities.

Plan and run day to day activities.
Ensure cleanliness of sitting area and dish room.
Take food and beverage orders using a POS sysem.
Out team are also responsible for the cleanliness of the kitchen and dining hall.
Interact with patients, family, and staff and communicate pertinent dietary information to the clinical dietitians and supervisor personnel.
Bring the dish machine running the dishwasher cleaning tables doing floors basic housekeeping

Cafeteria worker example responsibilities.

Prepare food, operate dishwasher, manage salad bar, and cash out students, teachers, and faculty.
Clean grills, ovens, and stoves.
Help prepare food, set-up salad bars.
Set up and break down fryers and slicers.
Sanitize and clean equipment according to HACCP standards.
Sell food to student and operating the POS system.

Dining service inspector vs cafeteria worker skills

Common dining service inspector skills

Dishes, 23%
Culinary, 12%
Food Handling, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%

Common cafeteria worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Preparation, 16%
Customer Service, 4%
Dishwashers, 4%
Nutritious Meals, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Dining Service Inspector
Dining Service Inspector vs Cafeteria Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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