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What is a dish washer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Dishwashers work in kitchens. Their job is to wash the dishes and perform other supportive tasks such as clearing tables, taking out the trash, cleaning working spaces, and restocking dining and cooking areas.

Kitchens are a hard terrain, even for the ones who have worked it for a while. If you get a job as a dishwasher, make sure to respect safety regulations. Be quick and out of the way of irritated cooks and sharp knives.

You will have a lot to do, so stay alert and watch your team members. As the dishwasher is the lowest in a kitchen hierarchy, you will not have a lot of respect. But if you stay humble and take it as a learning opportunity, you can work your way up to a position where you can shout at others instead of taking the hit.

ScoreDish WasherUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,860

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
7.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.37%

Asian 6.36%

Black or African American 11.96%

Hispanic or Latino 14.76%

Unknown 6.30%

White 59.26%

Gender

female 19.03%

male 80.97%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34
Stress level
4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.8

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Dish washer career paths

Key steps to become a dish washer

  1. Explore dish washer education requirements

    Most common dish washer degrees

    High School Diploma

    55.3 %

    Diploma

    14.3 %

    Associate

    13.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific dish washer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Food Handling33.09%
    Work Ethic21.49%
    Fine Dining11.52%
    Washing Machines6.88%
    Team Work6.16%
  3. Research dish washer duties and responsibilities

    • Wash dishes, bus tables, maintain an overall satisfactory restaurant, and help with any customer or team member needs.
    • Keep utensils going to the rightful owners' (cooks, servers, )
    • Stock and restock supplies for the servers and the cooks.
    • Raise and maintain high standards for cleanliness and safety within the DMO team.
  4. Prepare your dish washer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dish washer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dish washer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable dish washer resume templates

    Build a professional dish washer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your dish washer resume.
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  5. Apply for dish washer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a dish washer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first dish washer job

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Average dish washer salary

The average dish washer salary in the United States is $29,860 per year or $14 per hour. Dish washer salaries range between $23,000 and $37,000 per year.

Average dish washer salary
$29,860 Yearly
$14.36 hourly

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How do dish washers rate their job?

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Dish washer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022
Pros

Because ,I like making sure the dishes etc,food is prepared for customers!!!

Cons

None


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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