Food preparer vs food handler

The differences between food preparers and food handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food handler has an average salary of $32,581, which is higher than the $27,717 average annual salary of a food preparer.

The top three skills for a food preparer include food handling, work ethic and food products. The most important skills for a food handler are basic math, customer service, and math.

Food preparer vs food handler overview

	Food Preparer	Food Handler
Yearly salary	$27,717	$32,581
Hourly rate	$13.33	$15.66
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	134,113	171,731
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food preparer vs food handler salary

Food preparers and food handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Preparer	Food Handler
Average salary	$27,717	$32,581
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Commack, NY	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Washington
Best paying company	Mount Sinai Health System	Syracuse University
Best paying industry	Retail	Finance

Differences between food preparer and food handler education

There are a few differences between a food preparer and a food handler in terms of educational background:

	Food Preparer	Food Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food preparer vs food handler demographics

Here are the differences between food preparers' and food handlers' demographics:

	Food Preparer	Food Handler
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between food preparer and food handler duties and responsibilities

Food preparer example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness, organization and time management of order preparation, customer service
Follow closing procedures and maintain cleanliness of food preparation area and bathrooms.
Operate on a POS system, and would prep and serve food.
Clean fryers daily, closing shop with overhaul of cleaning routines and stocking freezers.
Operate a variety of commercial cooking equipment including grills, deep fryers, and ovens.
Clean and sanitize workstations, utensils and equipment according to sanitation guidelines.

Food handler example responsibilities.

Set up and operate point of sales (POS) cash registers, receive money and return proper change.
Record patient information to gain knowledge of special allergies and special diets to promote better safety and health management.
Enter orders into POS system, report daily sales to managers, conduct monthly inventory, and perform heavy cash flow.
Monitor and maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of assign station and service areas.
Maintain clean work areas including display cases, walk-in coolers, fryers and other cooking equipment.
Prepare and serve food samples using small appliances such as microwaves, fryers, skillets, coffee makers and knives.

Food preparer vs food handler skills

Common food preparer skills

Food Handling, 20%
Work Ethic, 13%
Food Products, 11%
Kitchen Utensils, 8%
Safety Standards, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

Common food handler skills

Basic Math, 23%
Customer Service, 21%
Math, 14%
Food Service, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Food Orders, 4%

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Food Preparer vs Food Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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