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The differences between kitchen helpers and food service 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 $25,796 average annual salary of a kitchen helper.
The top three skills for a kitchen helper include food handling, food service and wash dishes. The most important skills for a food service worker are food handling, safety standards, and customer service.
| Kitchen Helper | Food Service Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $25,796 | $28,753 |
| Hourly rate | $12.40 | $13.82 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 80,202 | 169,323 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Kitchen helpers perform various kitchen tasks in restaurants, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. Their duties and responsibilities include assisting cooks in the preparation of meal ingredients, helping other staff with unloading food items from delivery trucks, and washing and drying the utensils, dishes, and cookware. Kitchen helpers are also responsible for removing and replacing garbage bags and storing ingredients and food supplies in compliance with food safety standards. The requirements for this position may include a high school diploma, a license in food handling, and knowledge of food safety standards.
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.
Kitchen helpers and food service workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Kitchen Helper | Food Service Worker | |
| Average salary | $25,796 | $28,753 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $32,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Williams International | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a kitchen helper and a food service worker in terms of educational background:
| Kitchen Helper | Food Service Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between kitchen helpers' and food service workers' demographics:
| Kitchen Helper | Food Service Worker | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7% | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |