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

What is a food service specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A food service specialist boils, fries, bakes, braises, simmers, steams, and sautees as stated in the Army production schedule. He/She keeps the kitchen safe and clean and ensures that proper procedures are followed during food preparation, like keeping perishable foods at safe temperatures. Also, he/she oversees and guides lower-grade kitchen personnel. Their duties include setting up serving lines and garnishing food items. Additionally, they receive and store food items from suppliers. Besides that, they operate, maintain, and clean field kitchen equipment.

To qualify for this position, you need to score 85 in the operators and food (OF) area of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. You are required to have normal color vision. You will receive ten weeks of basic combat training and nine weeks of advanced individual training with on-the-job instructions. Foodservice specialists earn an average income of $34,175 per annum. This varies between $22,000 and $54,000.

ScoreFood Service SpecialistUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,286

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86%

Asian 6.71%

Black or African American 11.67%

Hispanic or Latino 17.63%

Unknown 5.11%

White 58.02%

Gender

female 42.89%

male 57.11%

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

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a food service specialist

Explore food service specialist education requirements

Most common food service specialist degrees

High School Diploma

35.3 %

Bachelor's

27.0 %

Associate

24.4 %

Start to develop specific food service specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Equipment	33.14%
Preventive Maintenance	24.12%
MOS	9.18%
Customer Service	6.80%
Cleanliness	3.64%

Complete relevant food service specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New food service specialists 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 specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real food service specialist resumes.

Gain additional food service specialist certifications

Food service specialist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific food service specialist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for food service specialists include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Food Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research food service specialist duties and responsibilities

Regulate temperatures of ovens, broilers, and grills.
Apply a vast number or USDA and USDC Standards/Specifications to determine compliance with contractual requirements.
Maintain a safe work environment for the preparation of food through sanitation and HACCP procedures.
Inspect prepared foods place on the serving line to ensure temperature and quality follow ServSafe protocols.

Prepare your food service specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your food service specialist 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 specialist 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 specialist resume templates

Build a professional food service specialist 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 specialist resume.