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The differences between food service associates and associate food scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate food scientist has an average salary of $43,865, which is higher than the $31,642 average annual salary of a food service associate.
The top three skills for a food service associate include patients, food handling and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for an associate food scientist are quality food, food products, and customer service.
| Food Service Associate | Associate Food Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $31,642 | $43,865 |
| Hourly rate | $15.21 | $21.09 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 64,167 | 160,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 37 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A food service associate performs fundamental functions in the food industry. Food service associates prepare and serve food items. They cater to special events, which involve facility preparation, food presentation maintenance, and setting up tables. Their duties include cleaning preparation and service equipment. They restock the work stations for the essential supplies. The skills they need to perform their job include customer service, teamwork, work with diverse cultural, ethnic, and academic backgrounds, and learn safety and health regulations.
An associate food scientist is primarily responsible for developing new recipes for a company, ensuring quality and marketability. They are also responsible for improving existing recipes, performing support tasks for a head scientist, conducting market research and analysis, monitoring the progress of projects, and maintaining all recipes' data and records, including nutrition value and ingredients. Furthermore, there are instances when an associate food scientist must manage the packaging and storing processes of food, ensuring consumers' health and safety.
Food service associates and associate food scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Associate | Associate Food Scientist | |
| Average salary | $31,642 | $43,865 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $39,000 | Between $35,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | Emory University |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a food service associate and an associate food scientist in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Associate | Associate Food Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food service associates' and associate food scientists' demographics:
| Food Service Associate | Associate Food Scientist | |
| Average age | 37 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0% | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 6% | 8% |