How to hire a food service assistant

How to hire a food service assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step food service assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a food service assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new food service assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a food service assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The food service assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a food service assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a food service assistant that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of food service assistants.

   Type of Food Service Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Food Service Assistant	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	$11-17
   Line Cook	Line cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. The term line cook brings to mind an assembly line... Show more	$12-19
   Cafeteria Worker	A cafeteria worker is responsible for taking and processing customer orders, ensuring the correct foods are served, providing them the satisfaction of their dining experience. Cafeteria workers maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities, manage the adequacy of inventory stock supplies, coordinate with suppliers for deliveries, process payments, and help out the customers with their inquiries and concerns... Show more	$8-15

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Food Handling
   • Basic Math
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Safety Standards
   • Cleanliness
   • Food Safety
   • Math
   • Wine
   • HACCP
   • Meal Service
   • Food Carts
   • Tray Line

   Check all skills

   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.

   More food service assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your food service assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A food service assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, food service assistants' average salary in alabama is 45% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level food service assistants 36% less than senior-level food service assistants.
   • Certifications. A food service assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a food service assistant's salary.

   Average food service assistant salary

   $14.11hourly

   $29,354 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level food service assistant salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average food service assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$33,219	$16
   2	New York	$33,077	$16
   3	California	$32,693	$16
   4	Washington	$31,965	$15
   5	Minnesota	$31,241	$15
   6	Oregon	$30,241	$15
   7	Colorado	$29,912	$14
   8	Hawaii	$29,370	$14
   9	Michigan	$29,257	$14
   10	North Dakota	$28,826	$14
   11	Utah	$28,760	$14
   12	South Dakota	$27,677	$13
   13	New Hampshire	$27,671	$13
   14	Wisconsin	$27,298	$13
   15	Arizona	$26,767	$13
   16	North Carolina	$26,513	$13
   17	Nevada	$25,510	$12
   18	Nebraska	$25,501	$12
   19	Kansas	$25,471	$12
   20	Virginia	$25,111	$12

   Average food service assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Fremont Public Schools	$37,475	$18.02	2
   2	Costco Wholesale	$37,061	$17.82	492
   3	And Partners	$37,012	$17.79
   4	Benicia Unified School District	$34,927	$16.79
   5	Rowland Unified School District	$34,540	$16.61	1
   6	Jefferson Elementary School District	$34,400	$16.54	1
   7	The Prairie School	$33,957	$16.33
   8	Washington State University	$33,929	$16.31
   9	Worthington Industries	$33,926	$16.31
   10	Lawndale Elementary School District	$33,922	$16.31
   11	Peoria Unified School District	$33,816	$16.26	7
   12	Huntington Beach Union High School District	$33,528	$16.12	2
   13	Victor Valley Union High School District	$33,404	$16.06
   14	Alameda Unified	$33,138	$15.93
   15	California Montessori Project	$32,874	$15.80
   16	Sutter Health	$32,838	$15.79	10
   17	WakeMed	$32,732	$15.74
   18	Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital	$32,698	$15.72
   19	University of Wisconsin System	$32,390	$15.57	3
   20	Salinas Union High School District	$32,253	$15.51

4. Writing a food service assistant job description

   A food service assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a food service assistant job description:

   Food service assistant job description example

   Prairie View in Newton is currently seeking a Food Service Assistant to join our Dietary team. 1st & 2nd shift positions are available. Every other weekend required.

   Wh at does a typical day look like?

   Some responsibilities include:

   • Meal preparation
   • Set up Salad Bar for lunch and/or supper
   • Refill and stock paper goods and food items
   • Serve meals to patients, staff and guests
   • Dish washing, trash removal, and cleaning of equipment and floors

   What qualities do we look for in a candidate?

   We’re looking for someone who has:

   • A High School degree or equivalent
   • 6 months previous work experience
   • The ability to learn dessert and bread preparation and baking techniques
   • The ability to prepare foods as directed and follow standardized recipes
   • The ability to work cooperatively with patients and staff

   ABOUT PRAIRIE VIEW :

   Prairie View, Inc. is a Behavioral & Mental Health facility located in Newton, KS. Just a short 20 minute drive from the Wichita area and situated just off the beaten path, yet close enough to the conveniences of the city, Prairie View’s campus is nearly 80 acres of natural Kansas plain. A number of evidence-based mental health services are provided, including hospitalization, outpatient services, a community support program, an adventure course, a special purpose school and more.

   Prairie View’s additional outpatient locations in Hillsboro, McPherson and Wichita provide services to children, adolescents, adults and older adults for a complete range of behavioral and mental health issues.

   Prairie View is accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Prairie View is also a member of Mennonite Health Services, an organization that brings Anabaptist-related health and human service providers together.

   Benefits:

   Affordable health, dental and vision insurance with different deductible plans to choose from to best fit the needs of you & your family, retirement plan (401K) match after 1 year of employment, attractive PTO accruals with an average of 5 weeks off in the first year and company paid life and disability insurance. Insurance benefits and PTO eligibility based on budgeted hours. In addition, we offer schedule flexibility to encourage work/life balance along with a collaborative and supportive work environment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right food service assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with food service assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit food service assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your food service assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit food service assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit food service assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new food service assistant

   Once you've selected the best food service assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new food service assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a food service assistant?