Food counter worker vs food service worker

The differences between food counter workers and food service workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service worker has an average salary of $28,753, 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 service worker are food handling, safety standards, and customer service.

Food counter worker vs food service worker overview

	Food Counter Worker	Food Service Worker
Yearly salary	$25,007	$28,753
Hourly rate	$12.02	$13.82
Growth rate	14%	2%
Number of jobs	74,035	169,323
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	23	37
Years of experience	-	-

Food counter worker vs food service worker salary

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Service Worker
Average salary	$25,007	$28,753
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Andover, MA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Hawaii
Best paying company	UC Merced	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Start-up	Retail

Differences between food counter worker and food service worker education

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Service Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food counter worker vs food service worker demographics

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

	Food Counter Worker	Food Service Worker
Average age	23	37
Gender ratio	Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between food counter worker and food service worker 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 service worker example responsibilities.

Volunteer at rehabilitation center/ nursing home escorting and communicating with the patients.
Learned how to do math quickly and efficiently.
Demonstrate money-handling and math skills in processing payments for orders.
Prepare all food stuffs, roasting meats, baking cookies, preparing salads.
Work in full compliance with values of compassion, dignity, excellence, integrity, and team work.
Install and maintain HVAC systems which include walkin coolers and freezers, reach-ins and pass thru and a/c systems

Food counter worker vs food service worker 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 service worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Safety Standards, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Patients, 7%
Cash Control, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Food Counter Worker vs Food Service Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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