Food service worker vs deli worker

The differences between food service workers and deli workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service worker has an average salary of $28,753, which is higher than the $28,578 average annual salary of a deli worker.

The top three skills for a food service worker include food handling, safety standards and customer service. The most important skills for a deli worker are premier customer service, food safety, and customer service.

Food service worker vs deli worker overview

	Food Service Worker	Deli Worker
Yearly salary	$28,753	$28,578
Hourly rate	$13.82	$13.74
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	169,323	37,658
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a food service worker do?

Foodservice workers are employees at restaurants, food trucks, or any outlet that provides food to customers. They may be assigned to welcome customers, take food orders, prepare food orders in the kitchen, serve food, handle customer payments, clean up the tables once the guests leave, or maintain the whole store's cleanliness. They may also be assigned to manage inventories, handle stocks and deliveries, and other activities related to the restaurant's successful operations. Foodservice workers must always be hygienic and maintain the sanitation of the area to ensure food safety.

What does a deli worker do?

A deli worker specializes in handling deli products and providing customer service in retail stores. They are primarily responsible for packaging and labeling products according to their weight and type, assigning prices, sorting out quality, and arranging them on display, all while following food safety and health guidelines. They must also respond to inquiries, suggest products, resolve any issues or concerns, handle special orders, and maintain cleanliness and sanitation. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement all policies and regulations, maintaining a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

Food service worker vs deli worker salary

Food service workers and deli workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Service Worker	Deli Worker
Average salary	$28,753	$28,578
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $36,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Watertown, NY
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	The Point Casino & Hotel
Best paying industry	Retail	Energy

Differences between food service worker and deli worker education

There are a few differences between a food service worker and a deli worker in terms of educational background:

	Food Service Worker	Deli Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food service worker vs deli worker demographics

Here are the differences between food service workers' and deli workers' demographics:

	Food Service Worker	Deli Worker
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food service worker and deli worker duties and responsibilities

Food service worker example responsibilities.

Volunteer at rehabilitation center/ nursing home escorting and communicating with the patients.
Learned how to do math quickly and efficiently.
Demonstrate money-handling and math skills in processing payments for orders.
Prepare all food stuffs, roasting meats, baking cookies, preparing salads.
Work in full compliance with values of compassion, dignity, excellence, integrity, and team work.
Install and maintain HVAC systems which include walkin coolers and freezers, reach-ins and pass thru and a/c systems

Deli worker example responsibilities.

Open and close deli; schedule work hour coverage; manage and monitor deli cleanliness code; customer service.
Scan customers' groceries and accept payment.-Packaged, stock and take inventory of the deli salads.
Greet customers, keep check out area clean, bag groceries, and return buggies when need.
Experience in opening and closing procedures, cleaning fryers, doing dishes by hand and cash register use.
Wait on customers slice meat slice cheese working hard case fry foods put rotisseries in the rotisserie wash dishes clean slicers
Close down deli at night, clean dishes, take apart slicers to clean and sanitize per standards guide lines.

Food service worker vs deli worker skills

Common food service worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Safety Standards, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Patients, 7%
Cash Control, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common deli worker skills

Premier Customer Service, 26%
Food Safety, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Deli Meats, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Safety Standards, 6%

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Food Service Worker vs Deli Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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