Food counter worker vs food preparer

The differences between food counter workers and food preparers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food preparer has an average salary of $27,717, 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 preparer are food handling, work ethic, and food products.

Food counter worker vs food preparer overview

	Food Counter Worker	Food Preparer
Yearly salary	$25,007	$27,717
Hourly rate	$12.02	$13.33
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	74,035	134,113
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food counter worker vs food preparer salary

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Preparer
Average salary	$25,007	$27,717
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $20,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Andover, MA	Commack, NY
Highest paying state	North Dakota	New Hampshire
Best paying company	UC Merced	Mount Sinai Health System
Best paying industry	Start-up	Retail

Differences between food counter worker and food preparer education

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Preparer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food counter worker vs food preparer demographics

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Preparer
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%
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 preparer 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 preparer example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness, organization and time management of order preparation, customer service
Follow closing procedures and maintain cleanliness of food preparation area and bathrooms.
Operate on a POS system, and would prep and serve food.
Clean fryers daily, closing shop with overhaul of cleaning routines and stocking freezers.
Operate a variety of commercial cooking equipment including grills, deep fryers, and ovens.
Clean and sanitize workstations, utensils and equipment according to sanitation guidelines.

Food counter worker vs food preparer 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 preparer skills

Food Handling, 20%
Work Ethic, 13%
Food Products, 11%
Kitchen Utensils, 8%
Safety Standards, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

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Food Counter Worker vs Food Preparer

Updated January 8, 2025

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