Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between food service associates and bakery associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service associate has an average salary of $31,642, which is higher than the $28,963 average annual salary of a bakery associate.
The top three skills for a food service associate include patients, food handling and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a bakery associate are customer service, donuts, and food preparation.
| Food Service Associate | Bakery Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $31,642 | $28,963 |
| Hourly rate | $15.21 | $13.92 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,167 | 52,105 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| 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.
A bakery associate is responsible for assisting bakery chefs in producing baked goods and pastries, organizing the stock, maintaining the cleanliness of the storage area, and processing customers' orders and payments. Bakery associates monitor the inventory and request bakery ingredients and supplies from trusted suppliers and third-party vendors. They also pitch on recommending promotional campaigns and research on current bakery trends to update the menu, meeting public demands to increase sales and revenues. A bakery associate should have excellent communication and analytical skills to respond to customers' inquiries and operate the cash register.
Food service associates and bakery associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Associate | Bakery Associate | |
| Average salary | $31,642 | $28,963 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $39,000 | Between $17,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | Rich Products |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a food service associate and a bakery associate in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Associate | Bakery Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food service associates' and bakery associates' demographics:
| Food Service Associate | Bakery Associate | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0% | Male, 22.5% Female, 77.5% |
| 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, 11.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.6% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |