Kitchen cleaner vs sanitation worker

The differences between kitchen cleaners and sanitation workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sanitation worker has an average salary of $33,159, which is higher than the $29,748 average annual salary of a kitchen cleaner.

The top three skills for a kitchen cleaner include dishes, cleanliness and exhaust fans. The most important skills for a sanitation worker are cleanliness, pallet jack, and food safety.

Kitchen cleaner vs sanitation worker overview

	Kitchen Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Yearly salary	$29,748	$33,159
Hourly rate	$14.30	$15.94
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	51,694	27,943
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 61%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Kitchen cleaner vs sanitation worker salary

Kitchen cleaners and sanitation workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Average salary	$29,748	$33,159
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Michigan State University
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between kitchen cleaner and sanitation worker education

There are a few differences between a kitchen cleaner and a sanitation worker in terms of educational background:

	Kitchen Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 61%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Kitchen cleaner vs sanitation worker demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen cleaners' and sanitation workers' demographics:

	Kitchen Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 25.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 50.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 4.9% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between kitchen cleaner and sanitation worker duties and responsibilities

Kitchen cleaner example responsibilities.

Operate a POS system and manage cash and credit card sales.
Clean all kitchen areas, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, cookers, counter tops, cans and mats.
Maintain cleanliness of all food services areas and equipment.
Operate trash compactor and dishwasher, clean, wash and store pots, pans and dishes.
Clean multiple commercial building using industrialize buffers, scrubbers and/or vacuum equipment.
Operate trash compactor and dishwasher.

Sanitation worker example responsibilities.

Operate a forklift for logistic, to manage and relocate BMW's fixture material.
Use power equipment such as floor sweepers, vacuums, scrubbers, mops, power washers.
Maintain cleanliness of entire facility according to OSHA and FDA regulations
Drive heavy equipment with CDL'S.
Train on (loto) lockout tag out
Landscape work including edging, mulching and mowing.

Kitchen cleaner vs sanitation worker skills

Common kitchen cleaner skills

Dishes, 32%
Cleanliness, 26%
Exhaust Fans, 18%
Clean Kitchen, 5%
Food Service, 4%
Kitchen Surfaces, 3%

Common sanitation worker skills

Cleanliness, 14%
Pallet Jack, 13%
Food Safety, 11%
Safety Standards, 9%
Production Equipment, 5%
Safety Procedures, 4%

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Kitchen Cleaner vs Sanitation Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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