Food counter worker vs food handler

The differences between food counter workers and food handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food handler has an average salary of $32,581, 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 food handler are basic math, customer service, and math.

Food counter worker vs food handler overview

	Food Counter Worker	Food Handler
Yearly salary	$25,007	$32,581
Hourly rate	$12.02	$15.66
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	74,035	171,731
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food counter worker vs food handler salary

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Handler
Average salary	$25,007	$32,581
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Andover, MA	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Washington
Best paying company	UC Merced	Syracuse University
Best paying industry	Start-up	Finance

Differences between food counter worker and food handler education

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food counter worker vs food handler demographics

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Handler
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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 food handler 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

Food handler example responsibilities.

Set up and operate point of sales (POS) cash registers, receive money and return proper change.
Record patient information to gain knowledge of special allergies and special diets to promote better safety and health management.
Enter orders into POS system, report daily sales to managers, conduct monthly inventory, and perform heavy cash flow.
Monitor and maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of assign station and service areas.
Maintain clean work areas including display cases, walk-in coolers, fryers and other cooking equipment.
Prepare and serve food samples using small appliances such as microwaves, fryers, skillets, coffee makers and knives.

Food counter worker vs food handler skills

Common food counter worker skills

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

Common food handler skills

Basic Math, 23%
Customer Service, 21%
Math, 14%
Food Service, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Food Orders, 4%

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Food Counter Worker vs Food Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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