Food preparation worker vs kitchen staff

The differences between food preparation workers and kitchen staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen staff has an average salary of $29,816, 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 kitchen staff are food handling, cleanliness, and sanitation standards.

Food preparation worker vs kitchen staff overview

	Food Preparation Worker	Kitchen Staff
Yearly salary	$25,004	$29,816
Hourly rate	$12.02	$14.33
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	65,654	154,513
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Food preparation worker vs kitchen staff salary

Food preparation workers and kitchen staff have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Preparation Worker	Kitchen Staff
Average salary	$25,004	$29,816
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Redwood City, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	The Road Home
Best paying industry	Retail	Education

Differences between food preparation worker and kitchen staff education

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

	Food Preparation Worker	Kitchen Staff
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food preparation worker vs kitchen staff demographics

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

	Food Preparation Worker	Kitchen Staff
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%	Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food preparation worker and kitchen staff 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.

Kitchen staff example responsibilities.

Assist the catering manager to manage, prepare, cook and deliver each day s caterings.
Present an enjoyable and positive atmosphere while preparing an outstanding product, manage inventory, and maintain cleanliness
Conduct daily inspections for overall cleanliness of all areas and proper sanitizing of food preparation surfaces.
Increase sales by upselling and signing customers up for discount cards
Prep food for dinner dishes, bar back, work on fryers, and wash dishes.
Cook, wash dishes, serve customers, prepare food for caterings, and stock shelves.

Food preparation worker vs kitchen staff 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 kitchen staff skills

Food Handling, 25%
Cleanliness, 21%
Sanitation Standards, 13%
Quality Food, 9%
Food Products, 7%
Meal Preparation, 5%

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Food Preparation Worker vs Kitchen Staff

Updated January 8, 2025

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