Dishwasher/busser vs pot washer

The differences between dishwasher/bussers and pot washers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dishwasher/busser has an average salary of $28,061, which is higher than the $26,755 average annual salary of a pot washer.

The top three skills for a dishwasher/busser include wash dishes, food preparation equipment and bus tables. The most important skills for a pot washer are dishes, cooking equipment, and food carts.

Dishwasher/busser vs pot washer overview

	Dishwasher/Busser	Pot Washer
Yearly salary	$28,061	$26,755
Hourly rate	$13.49	$12.86
Growth rate	2%	6%
Number of jobs	69,122	34,678
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	36	36
Years of experience	-	-

Dishwasher/busser vs pot washer salary

Dishwasher/bussers and pot washers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dishwasher/Busser	Pot Washer
Average salary	$28,061	$26,755
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $36,000	Between $20,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between dishwasher/busser and pot washer education

There are a few differences between a dishwasher/busser and a pot washer in terms of educational background:

	Dishwasher/Busser	Pot Washer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	General Studies	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Dishwasher/busser vs pot washer demographics

Here are the differences between dishwasher/bussers' and pot washers' demographics:

	Dishwasher/Busser	Pot Washer
Average age	36	36
Gender ratio	Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4%	Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 5.8% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between dishwasher/busser and pot washer duties and responsibilities

Dishwasher/busser example responsibilities.

Supervise dishwashers to maintain cleanliness of all utensils and all other food contact surfaces
Prep food items and refrigerate appropriately, maintain cleanliness of restaurant, wash all dishes associate with the daily operations
Maintain customer attentiveness and a neat appearance.

Pot washer example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness of equipment and floor adhering to sanitation regulations.
Wash the pots and pans and work the dishwasher at the same time.
Pot scrubber dishwasher equipment transfer and maintaining clean work environment
Organize, and move racks, used for shipping dough to the bakeries in the area.
Use a variety of cooking equipment such as wood-ovens, grills, fryers, and various other pieces.

Dishwasher/busser vs pot washer skills

Common dishwasher/busser skills

Wash Dishes, 32%
Food Preparation Equipment, 12%
Bus Tables, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Dishwashers, 6%
Dishwasher Machine, 6%

Common pot washer skills

Dishes, 86%
Cooking Equipment, 5%
Food Carts, 4%
Dishwashers, 2%
Clean Facility, 1%
Meat Blocks, 1%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Dishwasher/Busser
Dishwasher/Busser vs Pot Washer

Updated January 8, 2025

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