How To Become A Food Service Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a food service associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A food service associateworks in the food service industry, typically in a restaurant or cafeteria setting. Their primary duties include assisting with the preparation, serving, and clean-up of food and beverages. Food service associates may also interact with customers, taking orders and ensuring satisfaction. They must be knowledgeable about food safety and sanitation practices and may also restock supplies and maintain inventory. Overall, a food service associate provides customers with high-quality service and products.

ScoreFood Service AssociateUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,642

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.94%

Asian 7.28%

Black or African American 11.92%

Hispanic or Latino 16.58%

Unknown 4.82%

White 58.46%

Gender

female 62.00%

male 38.00%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a food service associate?

Pros

Opportunity to learn new culinary techniques and recipes
Possibility of advancement within the company
Ability to work flexible hours and shifts
Possibility of receiving discounts on food and beverages
Ability to earn tips in some establishments

Cons

Physically demanding job that requires standing for long periods of time
Potential for long working hours during peak periods
Low pay and minimal benefits in some establishments
Limited opportunities for career growth or advancement in some companies
High stress environment that can lead to burnout or fatigue

Key steps to become a food service associate

Explore food service associate education requirements

Most common food service associate degrees

Bachelor's

35.3 %

High School Diploma

33.4 %

Associate

19.1 %

Start to develop specific food service associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	14.04%
Food Handling	11.59%
Excellent Interpersonal	10.58%
Cleanliness	7.30%
Math	6.43%

Complete relevant food service associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New food service associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a food service associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real food service associate resumes.

Research food service associate duties and responsibilities

Experience using a cash register and POS system to manage food orders.
Maintain pantry, follow USDA guidelines for proper food storage, and maintenance on equipment.
Help track inventory using FIFO.
Stock product according to date, using the FIFO method.

Prepare your food service associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your food service associate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a food service associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable food service associate resume templates

Build a professional food service associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your food service associate resume.

Apply for food service associate jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a food service associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do food service associates rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Food service associate reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Pros

Not sedentary, moving around. Creativity.

Cons

Repetitive tasks. Or obviously, working with people who are highly critical.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019