Meat department associate vs food clerk

The differences between meat department associates and food clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food clerk has an average salary of $29,967, which is higher than the $26,955 average annual salary of a meat department associate.

The top three skills for a meat department associate include food handling, customer service and grinders. The most important skills for a food clerk are wine, basic math, and customer service.

Meat department associate vs food clerk overview

	Meat Department Associate	Food Clerk
Yearly salary	$26,955	$29,967
Hourly rate	$12.96	$14.41
Growth rate	-3%	2%
Number of jobs	52,410	113,838
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	42	37
Years of experience	4	-

What does a meat department associate do?

A meat department associate is responsible for addressing customer needs and offering product suggestions based on the customer's preference. Meat department associates ensure the safe storage of the products, carefully loading and unloading the items from the distribution trucks to the appropriate area. They also assist with product packaging, price labeling, inspecting quality, and eliminating products that do not pass quality standards. A meat department associate may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, such as taking orders, processing payments, and updating sales reports.

What does a food clerk do?

Food clerks are skilled employees who work either in grocery stores or supermarkets to assist customers with their food needs. In grocery stores, food clerks are required to scan food items for their customers and process their purchases as well as ensure that they have found everything they needed. They must assist in the store's inventory management by organizing and storing food merchandise in the backroom. Food clerks must also use their product knowledge to assist customers with questions and maintain customer satisfaction.

Meat department associate vs food clerk salary

Meat department associates and food clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Meat Department Associate	Food Clerk
Average salary	$26,955	$29,967
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $55,000	Between $14,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Leesburg, VA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Linklaters	ShopRite
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between meat department associate and food clerk education

There are a few differences between a meat department associate and a food clerk in terms of educational background:

	Meat Department Associate	Food Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Meat department associate vs food clerk demographics

Here are the differences between meat department associates' and food clerks' demographics:

	Meat Department Associate	Food Clerk
Average age	42	37
Gender ratio	Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%	Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 7.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	3%	6%

Differences between meat department associate and food clerk duties and responsibilities

Meat department associate example responsibilities.

Placed/Fil orders, maintain inventory, and manage department cleanliness.
Stock meat counter, dairy and frozen foods as well as general groceries.
Maintain, clean and sterilize, tables, deli slicers, and cutting equipment daily.
Clear shopping carts from lot, bag groceries for customers and help customers load groceries into vehicle.
Maintain and clean the meat dept, including saws, grinders, refrigerator, freezer and various other tools and equipment.
Used all equipment in meat department such as the refrigerators, freezers, slicers, and ovens according to company guidelines.

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Food clerk example responsibilities.

Exemplify a model of excellent customer service in keeping with Publix's orientation towards ensuring customer satisfaction.
Open the new Goshen Kroger and assist in recruiting and training new staff.

Meat department associate vs food clerk skills

Common meat department associate skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 11%
Grinders, 10%
Fresh Product, 8%
Food Safety, 7%
Fresh Meat, 6%

Common food clerk skills

Wine, 24%
Basic Math, 22%
Customer Service, 12%
Taking Care, 11%
Stock Shelves, 4%
Store Shelves, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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