Food counter worker vs fast food cashier

The differences between food counter workers and fast food cashiers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fast food cashier has an average salary of $31,913, which is higher than the $25,007 average annual salary of a food counter worker.

The top three skills for a food counter worker include food handling, basic math and safety standards. The most important skills for a fast food cashier are cash handling, basic math, and math.

Food counter worker vs fast food cashier overview

	Food Counter Worker	Fast Food Cashier
Yearly salary	$25,007	$31,913
Hourly rate	$12.02	$15.34
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	74,035	249,916
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 55%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food counter worker vs fast food cashier salary

Food counter workers and fast food cashiers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Counter Worker	Fast Food Cashier
Average salary	$25,007	$31,913
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Andover, MA	-
Highest paying state	North Dakota	-
Best paying company	UC Merced	-
Best paying industry	Start-up	-

Differences between food counter worker and fast food cashier education

There are a few differences between a food counter worker and a fast food cashier in terms of educational background:

	Food Counter Worker	Fast Food Cashier
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food counter worker vs fast food cashier demographics

Here are the differences between food counter workers' and fast food cashiers' demographics:

	Food Counter Worker	Fast Food Cashier
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between food counter worker and fast food cashier duties and responsibilities

Food counter worker example responsibilities.

Provide coffee and pastries for customers, make coffee and smoothies.
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Sandwich making, cutting vegetables, cleaning fryers, washing dishes, cleaning of the dining area and cleaning the bathrooms.
Prepare personalized smoothies and meals for customers

Fast food cashier example responsibilities.

Insure the cleanliness of the food line and the restaurant front line area to include the lobby and entry way.
Cook, clean, take orders on the cash register and drive-thru, handle monetary transactions and provide customer service.
Work with accuracy and quick math skills.
Used math and language skills daily at cash register
Prepare food in accordance with Wendy's corporate guidelines.
Collect monies due or apply charges to credit card or guest account using POS terminal.

Food counter worker vs fast food cashier skills

Common food counter worker skills

Food Handling, 29%
Basic Math, 18%
Safety Standards, 16%
Cleanliness, 12%
Customer Complaints, 5%
Customer Service, 4%

Common fast food cashier skills

Cash Handling, 17%
Basic Math, 15%
Math, 14%
Customer Service, 9%
POS, 8%
Cleanliness, 6%

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Food Counter Worker vs Fast Food Cashier

Updated January 8, 2025

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