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Food service worker vs food service coordinator

The differences between food service workers and food service coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service coordinator has an average salary of $32,085, 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 service coordinator are food preparation, customer service, and food handling.

Food service worker vs food service coordinator overview

Food Service WorkerFood Service Coordinator
Yearly salary$28,753$32,085
Hourly rate$13.82$15.43
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs169,32379,537
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age3737
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 food service coordinator do?

Food service coordinators are responsible for organizing the food preparation for a considerable section of a huge operation such as the bakery, catering, and pantry section. They arrange, prepare, and synchronize the preparation of main entrees. Also, they coordinate and prepare all snacks and meals at a distinct facility as well as supervise the performance of food service specialists and student assistants in preparing food. Qualifications for the job include agility and physical strength to lift and reach kitchen materials and supplies as well as working in a hot environment while standing for a long period.

Food service worker vs food service coordinator salary

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

Food Service WorkerFood Service Coordinator
Average salary$28,753$32,085
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $36,000Between $23,000 And $43,000
Highest paying CityUrban Honolulu, HISacramento, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiRhode Island
Best paying companyUniversity of California, BerkeleyAshland MA Police
Best paying industryRetailMedia

Differences between food service worker and food service coordinator education

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

Food Service WorkerFood Service Coordinator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Food service worker vs food service coordinator demographics

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

Food Service WorkerFood Service Coordinator
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 36.6% Female, 63.4%Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.5% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between food service worker and food service coordinator 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
  • Show more

Food service coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate the workload of the release team members and are responsible for organizing and hosting all production release windows.
  • Enhance and enrich HACCP knowledge and practices.
  • Record each meal recieve into the POS system.
  • Work with staff to provide culinary and nutritional teaching to club members.
  • Perform food samples and laboratory testing, and prepare corresponding reports following HACCP guidelines.
  • Monitor patients diets and patient satisfaction.
  • Show more

Food service worker vs food service coordinator skills

Common food service worker skills
  • Food Handling, 22%
  • Safety Standards, 9%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Cash Control, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
Common food service coordinator skills
  • Food Preparation, 9%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Food Handling, 7%
  • Meal Preparation, 6%
  • Food Safety, 5%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 5%

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