What does a food service technician do?
A food technician monitors what goes in and out of a kitchen. The role entails ensuring that whatever food leaves the kitchen meets the company's standard. The role also requires them to work closely with the food service team to ensure adequate preparation, cleaning, and sanitizing of cooking equipment and work area. Food technicians are employed at hotels, restaurants, hospitals, or schools.
Food service technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real food service technician resumes:
- Operate institutional slicers, shredders, food processors, and sealer machines.
- Follow and maintain high sanitation standards and guidelines as per NFS, and HACCP.
- Ensure proper hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) and ServSave protocols are adhered to.
- Maintain facility cleanliness and security.
- Maintain the professional and cleanliness outlook of the facility
- Assist patients one-on-one in making menu selections according to their therapeutic diets.
- Include regularly schedule maintenance, safety recalls, computerize alignments, electrical and on-board computer module diagnosis using Audi diagnostic software.
- Team member responsible for serving food and general clean-up of the main restaurant in Seaworld's water park.
Food service technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Food Service Technicians are proficient in Patients, Tray Line, and Food Handling. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Food Service Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 27%
Provided nutritional services to elderly patients and faculty member in support of the Charleston County Retirement nutrition service.
- Tray Line, 7%
Perform Food service tech II duties as needed, including Tray line checker and temperature log.
- Food Handling, 7%
Followed proper food handling techniques and coordinated the use of time, material and equipment to avoid waste and unnecessary expense.
- Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Demoed and installed HVAC, Refrigeration systems, walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers and commercial kitchen equipment.
- Meal Service, 6%
Print and fax when needed and help the captain during and after meal services.
- Food Carts, 5%
Help maintain delivery trucks, cook/chill units, and perform any maintenance on food carts as necessary.
"patients," "tray line," and "food handling" are among the most common skills that food service technicians use at work. You can find even more food service technician responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a food service technician to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "food and beverage serving and related workers must listen carefully to their customers’ orders and relay them correctly to the kitchen staff so that the orders are prepared to the customers’ request." Food service technicians often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "enhanced communication between food services department and management team, fostering a sense of teamwork and collaboration. "
Customer-service skills. Another essential skill to perform food service technician duties is customer-service skills. Food service technicians responsibilities require that "food service establishments rely on good food and customer service to keep customers and succeed in a competitive industry." Food service technicians also use customer-service skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "served the customers and maintained the cleanliness of food service areas and operated the cash register. "
Physical strength. food service technicians are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to food service technician responsibilities, because "food and beverage serving and related workers need to be able to lift and carry stock and equipment that can weigh up to 50 pounds." A food service technician resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "conduct health history interviews, physical examines which include vital signs, temperature and hemoglobin checks thru capillary finger stick. "
The three companies that hire the most food service technicians are:
- Gillette
59 food service technicians jobs
- Mercy Corps14 food service technicians jobs
- University Health System Inc11 food service technicians jobs
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Compare different food service technicians
Food service technician vs. Cooking chef
A cooking chef oversees all people performing kitchen duties under their mandate. These professionals oversee timeliness, sanitary issues, ingredient preparation, meal preparation, and final presentations. Besides engaging in menu planning and creating recipes, a cooking chef also performs several administrative tasks from one day to another. They place supply orders, track inventory, calculate payroll, calculate costs, and handle complaints from the employee or customer. Moreover, a cooking chef trains the kitchen staff to ensure they perform their duties correctly.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a food service technician are more likely to require skills like "patients," "tray line," "meal service," and "food carts." On the other hand, a job as a cooking chef requires skills like "culinary," "mixers," "nursing home," and "cooking meals." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Cooking chefs earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,189. On the other hand, food service technicians are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $34,488.On average, cooking chefs reach similar levels of education than food service technicians. Cooking chefs are 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Food service technician vs. Associate food scientist
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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, food service technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "meal service," "food carts," "safety procedures," and "food service equipment." Meanwhile, an associate food scientist has duties that require skills in areas such as "quality food," "groceries," "ice cream," and "inventory management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Associate food scientists earn a higher average salary than food service technicians. But associate food scientists earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $47,462. Additionally, food service technicians earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $34,488 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Associate food scientists tend to reach similar levels of education than food service technicians. In fact, they're 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Food service technician vs. Employee service officer
An employee services officer processes salary calculations, position management, payroll, appointment letters, and general human resource inquiries. Employee services officers recruit, train, and develop staff for an organization. They administer pension and benefits and ensure that staff is paid properly. Part of their job is to look after the safety, welfare, and health of employees. They approve job descriptions as well as advertisements. Also, they organize training sessions and related activities for the staff.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a food service technician is likely to be skilled in "patients," "meal service," "food service equipment," and "cleanliness," while a typical employee service officer is skilled in "minor maintenance," "data entry," "dependability," and "food safety."
Employee service officers make a very good living in the transportation industry with an average annual salary of $38,979. On the other hand, food service technicians are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $34,488.Most employee service officers achieve a similar degree level compared to food service technicians. For example, they're 1.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Food service technician vs. Technician
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Types of food service technician
Updated January 8, 2025
