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The differences between food service workers and kitchen staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen staff has an average salary of $29,816, 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 kitchen staff are food handling, cleanliness, and sanitation standards.
| Food Service Worker | Kitchen Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $28,753 | $29,816 |
| Hourly rate | $13.82 | $14.33 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 169,323 | 154,513 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| 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.
The kitchen staff consists of preparation workers who execute several routine tasks as directed by chefs, food service managers, and cooks. These works should have the ability to follow cooking instructions and deliver well-prepared meals. Their responsibilities include the cleanup of dishes, cooking equipment, and the working stations. They also take charge of food safety regulations, storing and sorting of ingredients, and preparing foodstuff.
Food service workers and kitchen staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Worker | Kitchen Staff | |
| Average salary | $28,753 | $29,816 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | The Road Home |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Education |
There are a few differences between a food service worker and a kitchen staff in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Worker | Kitchen Staff | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between food service workers' and kitchen staff' demographics:
| Food Service Worker | Kitchen Staff | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% |
| 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, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |