Food preparation worker vs food prep/dishwasher

The differences between food preparation workers and food prep/dishwashers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food prep/dishwasher has an average salary of $29,964, 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 prep/dishwasher are food preparation equipment, work ethic, and wash dishes.

Food preparation worker vs food prep/dishwasher overview

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$25,004	$29,964
Hourly rate	$12.02	$14.41
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	65,654	113,200
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Food preparation worker vs food prep/dishwasher salary

Food preparation workers and food prep/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average salary	$25,004	$29,964
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $24,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of Wisconsin System
Best paying industry	Retail	Professional

Differences between food preparation worker and food prep/dishwasher education

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

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Food preparation worker vs food prep/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between food preparation workers' and food prep/dishwashers' demographics:

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%	Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food preparation worker and food prep/dishwasher 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 prep/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Prep food items and refrigerate appropriately, maintain cleanliness of restaurant, wash all dishes associate with the daily operations
Operate industrial dishwasher ensuring sanitation of all dishes.
Operate dishwasher keep kitchen clean organize and sanitize.
Take proper care of ranges, ovens, broilers, fryers, griddles, utensils and other equipment.
Gain knowledge of how to use kitchen tools such as blenders, fryers, coffee maker, and food processor.
Make smoothies, clean up after every smoothie, clean whole store, prep fruits and juices

Food preparation worker vs food prep/dishwasher 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 prep/dishwasher skills

Food Preparation Equipment, 17%
Work Ethic, 17%
Wash Dishes, 14%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Service, 9%
Dishwashers, 8%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Food Preparation Worker
Food Preparation Worker vs Food Prep/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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