Food production worker vs factory worker

The differences between food production workers and factory workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food production worker has an average salary of $30,076, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a factory worker.

The top three skills for a food production worker include basic math, safety regulations and math. The most important skills for a factory worker are line assembly, production process, and safety regulations.

Food production worker vs factory worker overview

	Food Production Worker	Factory Worker
Yearly salary	$30,076	$29,343
Hourly rate	$14.46	$14.11
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	120,493	106,768
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

Food production worker vs factory worker salary

Food production workers and factory workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Production Worker	Factory Worker
Average salary	$30,076	$29,343
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $36,000	Between $22,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	UPS
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between food production worker and factory worker education

There are a few differences between a food production worker and a factory worker in terms of educational background:

	Food Production Worker	Factory Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food production worker vs factory worker demographics

Here are the differences between food production workers' and factory workers' demographics:

	Food Production Worker	Factory Worker
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 50.0% Female, 50.0%	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.2% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.5% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between food production worker and factory worker duties and responsibilities

Food production worker example responsibilities.

Manage and instruct workers in the art of food preparation as culinary team leader.
Ensure employees produce products to client's specs and to FDA or USDA standards in a timely manner.
Clean the equipment as well as the area to FDA standards.
Tend or operate and sanitize equipment such as kettles and cookers to the standards of the USDA.
Adhere to safe work practices, follow GMP s, maintain sanitary conditions and ensure that product quality is maintained.
Perform housekeeping responsibilities ensuring adherence to USDA guidelines.

Factory worker example responsibilities.

Assemble automotive windows for Honda and Toyota
Assemble HVAC systems & furnaces.
Perform landscaping, HVAC, assemble tanning beds, and other duties as assigned.
Assemble parts to mowers as line move, keep parts ready to assemble and cardboard and trash clear away.
Maintain seasonal grounds work, lawn mowing, trimming shrubs flowerbeds, spraying pesticides, and other landscaping elements.
Keep production areas in compliance with sanitation standards set by HACCP, FDA, USDA, and customer's requirements.

Food production worker vs factory worker skills

Common food production worker skills

Basic Math, 28%
Safety Regulations, 10%
Math, 8%
Cleanliness, 8%
Assembly Line, 8%
Production Process, 6%

Common factory worker skills

Line Assembly, 25%
Production Process, 19%
Safety Regulations, 18%
Pallet Jack, 8%
Temp Service, 5%
Quality Checks, 5%

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Food Production Worker
Food Production Worker vs Factory Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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