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The differences between food service attendants and food preparers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food preparer has an average salary of $27,717, which is higher than the $25,604 average annual salary of a food service attendant.
The top three skills for a food service attendant include food handling, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a food preparer are food handling, work ethic, and food products.
| Food Service Attendant | Food Preparer | |
| Yearly salary | $25,604 | $27,717 |
| Hourly rate | $12.31 | $13.33 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 229,108 | 134,113 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Food Service Attendant works in various establishments such as hotels, cafeterias, and bars to deal with service, meal preparation, and food handling. They work under the control of a kitchen manager or food service director and deliver their services all days of the week. Their primary duties include taking delivery orders and answering customer phones, and assisting wait staff and cashiers in collecting money. Moreover, they respond to customer queries and making menu suggestions. Also, they clean workplaces, follow meal safety guidelines and prepare food and drinks.
A food preparer or food preparation worker is the person who executes routine tasks under the supervision of chefs, food service managers, and cooks. Food preparation workers slice meat, cut vegetables, and prepare cold foods. They prepare ingredients of food for recipes as they assist cooks and chefs. Their duties and responsibilities include sifting, marinating, food safety, grating, and knife skills. They are also expected to weigh and measure dry and liquid ingredients.
Food service attendants and food preparers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Attendant | Food Preparer | |
| Average salary | $25,604 | $27,717 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $33,000 | Between $20,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bend, OR | Commack, NY |
| Highest paying state | Utah | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Mount Sinai Health System |
| Best paying industry | Media | Retail |
There are a few differences between a food service attendant and a food preparer in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Attendant | Food Preparer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food service attendants' and food preparers' demographics:
| Food Service Attendant | Food Preparer | |
| Average age | 23 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 8% | 8% |