Front line worker vs food preparer

The differences between front line workers and food preparers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front line worker has an average salary of $30,326, which is higher than the $27,717 average annual salary of a food preparer.

The top three skills for a front line worker include customer service, POS and food orders. The most important skills for a food preparer are food handling, work ethic, and food products.

Front line worker vs food preparer overview

	Front Line Worker	Food Preparer
Yearly salary	$30,326	$27,717
Hourly rate	$14.58	$13.33
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	103,096	134,113
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	23	23
Years of experience	-	-

Front line worker vs food preparer salary

Front line workers and food preparers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Line Worker	Food Preparer
Average salary	$30,326	$27,717
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $35,000	Between $20,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Commack, NY
Highest paying state	-	New Hampshire
Best paying company	-	Mount Sinai Health System
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between front line worker and food preparer education

There are a few differences between a front line worker and a food preparer in terms of educational background:

	Front Line Worker	Food Preparer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front line worker vs food preparer demographics

Here are the differences between front line workers' and food preparers' demographics:

	Front Line Worker	Food Preparer
Average age	23	23
Gender ratio	Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4%	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%
Race ratio	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%	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	8%	8%

Differences between front line worker and food preparer duties and responsibilities

Front line worker example responsibilities.

Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.
Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.

Food preparer example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness, organization and time management of order preparation, customer service
Follow closing procedures and maintain cleanliness of food preparation area and bathrooms.
Operate on a POS system, and would prep and serve food.
Clean fryers daily, closing shop with overhaul of cleaning routines and stocking freezers.
Operate a variety of commercial cooking equipment including grills, deep fryers, and ovens.
Clean and sanitize workstations, utensils and equipment according to sanitation guidelines.

Front line worker vs food preparer skills

Common front line worker skills

Customer Service, 64%
POS, 8%
Food Orders, 7%
Food Preparation, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%
Food Safety, 4%

Common food preparer skills

Food Handling, 20%
Work Ethic, 13%
Food Products, 11%
Kitchen Utensils, 8%
Safety Standards, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

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Front Line Worker vs Food Preparer

Updated January 8, 2025

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