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The differences between food service workers and food prep/dishwashers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food prep/dishwasher has an average salary of $29,964, 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 prep/dishwasher are food preparation equipment, work ethic, and wash dishes.
| Food Service Worker | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Yearly salary | $28,753 | $29,964 |
| Hourly rate | $13.82 | $14.41 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 169,323 | 113,200 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 58% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A food prep/dishwasher's role is to perform food preparation and cleaning duties in a kitchen, under the supervision and directives of a chef or manager. One of their primary responsibilities is washing dishes, sanitizing utensils, and preparing ingredients by washing, peeling, and cutting them according to size. They may also participate in organizing, sorting, and putting them in proper storage. There are also instances when they have to perform basic cooking tasks ranging from boiling and frying to baking. Furthermore, a food prep/dishwasher may have the duty of maintaining the kitchen's cleanliness and other areas.
Food service workers and food prep/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Worker | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Average salary | $28,753 | $29,964 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $24,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | University of Wisconsin System |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Professional |
There are a few differences between a food service worker and a food prep/dishwasher in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Worker | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | General Studies |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food service workers' and food prep/dishwashers' demographics:
| Food Service Worker | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% | Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |