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The differences between kitchen assistants 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 $27,455 average annual salary of a kitchen assistant.
The top three skills for a kitchen assistant include wine, kitchen equipment and POS. The most important skills for a food prep/dishwasher are food preparation equipment, work ethic, and wash dishes.
| Kitchen Assistant | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Yearly salary | $27,455 | $29,964 |
| Hourly rate | $13.20 | $14.41 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 78,120 | 113,200 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | High School Diploma, 58% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A kitchen assistant is responsible for assisting chefs, cooks, or managers. Most of the duties are given by supervising officers, and it will revolve around preparing ingredients, cutting or washing meat and vegetables, and performing basic cooking tasks such as boiling and frying. A kitchen assistant is also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen, washing used materials, sanitizing utensils, organizing food inventory. Other tasks include unloading deliveries of food supplies and sorting the ingredients accordingly.
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.
Kitchen assistants and food prep/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Kitchen Assistant | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Average salary | $27,455 | $29,964 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $35,000 | Between $24,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of Massachusetts Boston | University of Wisconsin System |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Professional |
There are a few differences between a kitchen assistant and a food prep/dishwasher in terms of educational background:
| Kitchen Assistant | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | High School Diploma, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | General Studies |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between kitchen assistants' and food prep/dishwashers' demographics:
| Kitchen Assistant | Food Prep/Dishwasher | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% | Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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% |