Food preparation worker vs food clerk

The differences between food preparation workers and food clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food clerk has an average salary of $29,967, which is higher than the $25,004 average annual salary of a food preparation worker.

The top three skills for a food preparation worker include customer service, food handling and clean rooms. The most important skills for a food clerk are wine, basic math, and customer service.

Food preparation worker vs food clerk overview

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Clerk
Yearly salary	$25,004	$29,967
Hourly rate	$12.02	$14.41
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	65,654	113,838
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Food preparation worker vs food clerk salary

Food preparation workers and food clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Clerk
Average salary	$25,004	$29,967
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $14,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	ShopRite
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between food preparation worker and food clerk education

There are a few differences between a food preparation worker and a food clerk in terms of educational background:

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food preparation worker vs food clerk demographics

Here are the differences between food preparation workers' and food clerks' demographics:

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Clerk
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%	Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 7.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food preparation worker and food clerk duties and responsibilities

Food preparation worker example responsibilities.

Maintain cleaned and sanitize cafeterias.
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Wash dishes, pots, pans and trays by hand and automatic dishwasher.
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.

Food clerk example responsibilities.

Exemplify a model of excellent customer service in keeping with Publix's orientation towards ensuring customer satisfaction.
Open the new Goshen Kroger and assist in recruiting and training new staff.

Food preparation worker vs food clerk skills

Common food preparation worker skills

Customer Service, 20%
Food Handling, 16%
Clean Rooms, 10%
Food Preparation Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 8%
Food Storage, 5%

Common food clerk skills

Wine, 24%
Basic Math, 22%
Customer Service, 12%
Taking Care, 11%
Stock Shelves, 4%
Store Shelves, 3%

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Food Preparation Worker vs Food Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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