Food service worker vs food handler

The differences between food service workers and food handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food handler has an average salary of $32,581, which is higher than the $28,753 average annual salary of a food service worker.

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

Food service worker vs food handler overview

	Food Service Worker	Food Handler
Yearly salary	$28,753	$32,581
Hourly rate	$13.82	$15.66
Growth rate	2%	14%
Number of jobs	169,323	171,731
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	37	23
Years of experience	-	-

Food service worker vs food handler salary

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

	Food Service Worker	Food Handler
Average salary	$28,753	$32,581
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $36,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Syracuse University
Best paying industry	Retail	Finance

Differences between food service worker and food handler education

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

	Food Service Worker	Food Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Food service worker vs food handler demographics

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

	Food Service Worker	Food Handler
Average age	37	23
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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, 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	6%	8%

Differences between food service worker and food handler 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

Food handler example responsibilities.

Set up and operate point of sales (POS) cash registers, receive money and return proper change.
Record patient information to gain knowledge of special allergies and special diets to promote better safety and health management.
Enter orders into POS system, report daily sales to managers, conduct monthly inventory, and perform heavy cash flow.
Monitor and maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of assign station and service areas.
Maintain clean work areas including display cases, walk-in coolers, fryers and other cooking equipment.
Prepare and serve food samples using small appliances such as microwaves, fryers, skillets, coffee makers and knives.

Food service worker vs food handler skills

Common food service worker skills

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

Common food handler skills

Basic Math, 23%
Customer Service, 21%
Math, 14%
Food Service, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Food Orders, 4%

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Food Service Worker
Food Service Worker vs Food Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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