Food service worker vs kitchen worker

The differences between food service workers and kitchen 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 $28,720 average annual salary of a kitchen 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 worker are cleanliness, food handling, and kitchen equipment.

Food service worker vs kitchen worker overview

	Food Service Worker	Kitchen Worker
Yearly salary	$28,753	$28,720
Hourly rate	$13.82	$13.81
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	169,323	86,773
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Food service worker vs kitchen worker salary

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

	Food Service Worker	Kitchen Worker
Average salary	$28,753	$28,720
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $36,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Kemps
Best paying industry	Retail	Education

Differences between food service worker and kitchen worker education

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

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

Food service worker vs kitchen worker demographics

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

	Food Service Worker	Kitchen Worker
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food service worker and kitchen 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

Kitchen worker example responsibilities.

Ensure cleanliness of surroundings and sterilization/sanitation of kitchen prep area and food trays.
Clean floors, dishes, stoves and pots.
Prepare for opening the next morning by cleaning and shutting down fryers and broiler.
Work well with other employees-Maintain cleanliness of areas assigned-perform a variety of services-follow property policies and procedures-oversee own responsibilities
Remove wash dishware, flatware, and glassware from dishwasher and stack them according to size and likeness for future use.
Sanitize heavy equipment including dishwasher, mixer and slicer.

Food service worker vs kitchen worker skills

Common food service worker skills

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

Common kitchen worker skills

Cleanliness, 17%
Food Handling, 13%
Kitchen Equipment, 12%
Food Service, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Patients, 8%

Food Service Worker vs. similar jobs

Food Service Worker related careers

Food Service Worker related jobs

Food Service Worker jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Food Service Worker
Food Service Worker vs Kitchen Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs