Food production worker vs manufacturing associate

The differences between food production workers and manufacturing associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a manufacturing associate has an average salary of $34,830, which is higher than the $30,076 average annual salary of a food production worker.

The top three skills for a food production worker include basic math, safety regulations and math. The most important skills for a manufacturing associate are basic math, cell culture, and math.

Food production worker vs manufacturing associate overview

	Food Production Worker	Manufacturing Associate
Yearly salary	$30,076	$34,830
Hourly rate	$14.46	$16.75
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	120,493	55,540
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

Food production worker vs manufacturing associate salary

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

	Food Production Worker	Manufacturing Associate
Average salary	$30,076	$34,830
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $36,000	Between $26,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Billerica, MA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	North Dakota
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Danaher
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between food production worker and manufacturing associate education

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

	Food Production Worker	Manufacturing Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Biology
Most common college	-	-

Food production worker vs manufacturing associate demographics

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

	Food Production Worker	Manufacturing Associate
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 50.0% Female, 50.0%	Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between food production worker and manufacturing associate 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.

Manufacturing associate example responsibilities.

Lead WIP management by controlling manufacturing inventory and managing material repair outsourcing.
Develop system for tracking, managing, and disposition of test PCB assemblies.
Perform adjustments to CIP equipment and run computer programs in order to automate the cleaning and sanitizing of the equipment.
Automate lines require quick responses & manual dexterity with absolute errorless perfection.
Lift and wrapped finish windows.
Record data, perform math calculations when need.

Food production worker vs manufacturing associate skills

Common food production worker skills

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

Common manufacturing associate skills

Basic Math, 7%
Cell Culture, 6%
Math, 6%
Production Equipment, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Procedures, 5%

Food Production Worker vs. similar jobs

Food Production Worker related careers

Food Production Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Food Production Worker
Food Production Worker vs Manufacturing Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs