Food preparation worker vs food service assistant

The differences between food preparation workers and food service assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service assistant has an average salary of $29,354, 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 service assistant are patients, customer service, and food handling.

Food preparation worker vs food service assistant overview

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Service Assistant
Yearly salary	$25,004	$29,354
Hourly rate	$12.02	$14.11
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	65,654	149,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Food preparation worker vs food service assistant salary

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

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Service Assistant
Average salary	$25,004	$29,354
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Massachusetts
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Fremont Public Schools
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between food preparation worker and food service assistant education

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

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Service Assistant
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food preparation worker vs food service assistant demographics

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

	Food Preparation Worker	Food Service Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 8.7% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food preparation worker and food service assistant 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 service assistant example responsibilities.

Sanitize rooms per OSHA requirements.
Perform regular station audits in accordance to OSHA guidelines.
Experience includes bag room, mail/cargo, ramp, and De-icing.
Maintain cleanliness of kitchenware and food preparation areas in a fast-pace restaurant kitchen.
Streamline kitchen processes for this fast-pace environment, maintaining cleanliness and safe equipment operation.
Monitor radio and delivery system by annotating order tickets resulting in satisfy and hunger free patients.

Food preparation worker vs food service assistant 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 service assistant skills

Patients, 12%
Customer Service, 12%
Food Handling, 9%
Basic Math, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%
Safety Standards, 6%

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Food Preparation Worker vs Food Service Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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