Line attendant vs cafeteria worker

The differences between line attendants and cafeteria workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a line attendant has an average salary of $30,594, which is higher than the $24,465 average annual salary of a cafeteria worker.

The top three skills for a line attendant include basic math, safety regulations and cleanliness. The most important skills for a cafeteria worker are food handling, kitchen equipment, and food preparation.

Line attendant vs cafeteria worker overview

	Line Attendant	Cafeteria Worker
Yearly salary	$30,594	$24,465
Hourly rate	$14.71	$11.76
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	90,080	31,802
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Line attendant vs cafeteria worker salary

Line attendants and cafeteria workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Attendant	Cafeteria Worker
Average salary	$30,594	$24,465
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $18,000 And $32,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Yuba City, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Conagra Foods	Jefferson Elementary School District
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Hospitality

Differences between line attendant and cafeteria worker education

There are a few differences between a line attendant and a cafeteria worker in terms of educational background:

	Line Attendant	Cafeteria Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Line attendant vs cafeteria worker demographics

Here are the differences between line attendants' and cafeteria workers' demographics:

	Line Attendant	Cafeteria Worker
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between line attendant and cafeteria worker duties and responsibilities

Line attendant example responsibilities.

Load or stack fill molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on strage racks or carts.
Utilize excellent GMP's in this position.
Maintain tables by refilling wine ice and water.
Apply critical thinking and money skills relate to math.
Order food from the kitchen if a certain dish run out.
Prepare products and packing to meet customers specifications with company policy relate to GMP's and safety.

Cafeteria worker example responsibilities.

Prepare food, operate dishwasher, manage salad bar, and cash out students, teachers, and faculty.
Clean grills, ovens, and stoves.
Help prepare food, set-up salad bars.
Set up and break down fryers and slicers.
Sanitize and clean equipment according to HACCP standards.
Sell food to student and operating the POS system.

Line attendant vs cafeteria worker skills

Common line attendant skills

Basic Math, 23%
Safety Regulations, 16%
Cleanliness, 15%
OSHA, 14%
Math, 13%
Quality Issues, 12%

Common cafeteria worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Preparation, 16%
Customer Service, 4%
Dishwashers, 4%
Nutritious Meals, 3%

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Line Attendant
Line Attendant vs Cafeteria Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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