Pantry worker vs food prep/dishwasher

The differences between pantry workers 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 $29,031 average annual salary of a pantry worker.

The top three skills for a pantry worker include kitchen equipment, culinary and food products. The most important skills for a food prep/dishwasher are food preparation equipment, work ethic, and wash dishes.

Pantry worker vs food prep/dishwasher overview

	Pantry Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$29,031	$29,964
Hourly rate	$13.96	$14.41
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	31,402	113,200
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Pantry worker vs food prep/dishwasher salary

Pantry workers and food prep/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pantry Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average salary	$29,031	$29,964
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	University of Wisconsin System
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between pantry worker and food prep/dishwasher education

There are a few differences between a pantry worker and a food prep/dishwasher in terms of educational background:

	Pantry Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Pantry worker vs food prep/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between pantry workers' and food prep/dishwashers' demographics:

	Pantry Worker	Food Prep/Dishwasher
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8%	Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%

Differences between pantry worker and food prep/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

Pantry worker example responsibilities.

Manage saut station, fry station, grill station, and steamer station.
Assemble care packages and distribute groceries to the community.
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Put away food and supplies order according to the fifo system.

Food prep/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Prep food items and refrigerate appropriately, maintain cleanliness of restaurant, wash all dishes associate with the daily operations
Operate industrial dishwasher ensuring sanitation of all dishes.
Operate dishwasher keep kitchen clean organize and sanitize.
Take proper care of ranges, ovens, broilers, fryers, griddles, utensils and other equipment.
Gain knowledge of how to use kitchen tools such as blenders, fryers, coffee maker, and food processor.
Make smoothies, clean up after every smoothie, clean whole store, prep fruits and juices

Pantry worker vs food prep/dishwasher skills

Common pantry worker skills

Kitchen Equipment, 37%
Culinary, 23%
Food Products, 15%
Food Handling, 11%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Food Donations, 2%

Common food prep/dishwasher skills

Food Preparation Equipment, 17%
Work Ethic, 17%
Wash Dishes, 14%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Service, 9%
Dishwashers, 8%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Pantry Worker
Pantry Worker vs Food Prep/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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