Preparator vs food preparation worker

The differences between preparators and food preparation workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a preparator has an average salary of $47,473, which is higher than the $25,004 average annual salary of a food preparation worker.

The top three skills for a preparator include exhibition design, hand tools and AV. The most important skills for a food preparation worker are customer service, food handling, and clean rooms.

Preparator vs food preparation worker overview

	Preparator	Food Preparation Worker
Yearly salary	$47,473	$25,004
Hourly rate	$22.82	$12.02
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	738	65,654
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Preparator vs food preparation worker salary

Preparators and food preparation workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Preparator	Food Preparation Worker
Average salary	$47,473	$25,004
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $100,000	Between $18,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	New York	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Schaeffler	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Retail

Differences between preparator and food preparation worker education

There are a few differences between a preparator and a food preparation worker in terms of educational background:

	Preparator	Food Preparation Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Preparator vs food preparation worker demographics

Here are the differences between preparators' and food preparation workers' demographics:

	Preparator	Food Preparation Worker
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5%	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 26.3% Asian, 8.5% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between preparator and food preparation worker duties and responsibilities

Preparator example responsibilities.

Manage visual resource center, including acquisition, cataloging, budget management and other relevant issues.
Assist in the creation and installation of MFA solo show
Respond to all health and safety emergencies in the chemistry teaching labs.
Assist in maintaining cleanliness of the several chemistry laboratories.
Perform inventory, descriptive cataloging, and photography of archaeological and ethnographic object collections and preparation for display in digital environment.
Develop the design of the online exhibit by coding in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Food preparation worker example responsibilities.

Maintain cleaned and sanitize cafeterias.
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Wash dishes, pots, pans and trays by hand and automatic dishwasher.
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.

Preparator vs food preparation worker skills

Common preparator skills

Exhibition Design, 21%
Hand Tools, 14%
AV, 10%
Museum Exhibits, 7%
Artifact, 6%
Museum Standards, 6%

Common food preparation worker skills

Customer Service, 20%
Food Handling, 16%
Clean Rooms, 10%
Food Preparation Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 8%
Food Storage, 5%

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Preparator vs Food Preparation Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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