Food service associate vs food service coordinator

The differences between food service associates and food service coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service coordinator has an average salary of $32,085, 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 a food service coordinator are food preparation, customer service, and food handling.

Food service associate vs food service coordinator overview

	Food Service Associate	Food Service Coordinator
Yearly salary	$31,642	$32,085
Hourly rate	$15.21	$15.43
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	64,167	79,537
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a food service associate do?

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.

What does a food service coordinator do?

Food service coordinators are responsible for organizing the food preparation for a considerable section of a huge operation such as the bakery, catering, and pantry section. They arrange, prepare, and synchronize the preparation of main entrees. Also, they coordinate and prepare all snacks and meals at a distinct facility as well as supervise the performance of food service specialists and student assistants in preparing food. Qualifications for the job include agility and physical strength to lift and reach kitchen materials and supplies as well as working in a hot environment while standing for a long period.

Food service associate vs food service coordinator salary

Food service associates and food service coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Service Associate	Food Service Coordinator
Average salary	$31,642	$32,085
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $23,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners	Ashland MA Police
Best paying industry	Technology	Media

Differences between food service associate and food service coordinator education

There are a few differences between a food service associate and a food service coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Food Service Associate	Food Service Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food service associate vs food service coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between food service associates' and food service coordinators' demographics:

	Food Service Associate	Food Service Coordinator
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%	Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
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, 11.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.5% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food service associate and food service coordinator duties and responsibilities

Food service associate example 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.
Perform complex math calculations using fractions, percentile, probabilities and/or ratios.
Rank one of the top math and technology schools in the nation.

Food service coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate the workload of the release team members and are responsible for organizing and hosting all production release windows.
Enhance and enrich HACCP knowledge and practices.
Record each meal recieve into the POS system.
Work with staff to provide culinary and nutritional teaching to club members.
Perform food samples and laboratory testing, and prepare corresponding reports following HACCP guidelines.
Monitor patients diets and patient satisfaction.

Food service associate vs food service coordinator skills

Common food service associate skills

Patients, 14%
Food Handling, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 11%
Cleanliness, 7%
Math, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%

Common food service coordinator skills

Food Preparation, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Food Handling, 7%
Meal Preparation, 6%
Food Safety, 5%
Kitchen Equipment, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Food Service Associate
Food Service Associate vs Food Service Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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