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The differences between restaurant associates and kitchen staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen staff has an average salary of $29,816, which is higher than the $29,195 average annual salary of a restaurant associate.
The top three skills for a restaurant associate include food service, customer service and customer orders. The most important skills for a kitchen staff are food handling, cleanliness, and sanitation standards.
| Restaurant Associate | Kitchen Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $29,195 | $29,816 |
| Hourly rate | $14.04 | $14.33 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,419 | 154,513 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A restaurant associate is responsible for ensuring that the guests receive the highest satisfaction for their dining experience. Restaurant associates entertain and greet guests, assist the dining staff in processing orders, respond to inquiries and concerns, and escalate complaints to the supervisor. They also help management in identifying opportunities that would attract customers by researching current industry trends to develop additional services for generating more revenues. A restaurant associate monitors the stock inventory, create purchase requests, and negotiate with trusted suppliers.
The kitchen staff consists of preparation workers who execute several routine tasks as directed by chefs, food service managers, and cooks. These works should have the ability to follow cooking instructions and deliver well-prepared meals. Their responsibilities include the cleanup of dishes, cooking equipment, and the working stations. They also take charge of food safety regulations, storing and sorting of ingredients, and preparing foodstuff.
Restaurant associates and kitchen staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Restaurant Associate | Kitchen Staff | |
| Average salary | $29,195 | $29,816 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $37,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | The Road Home |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a restaurant associate and a kitchen staff in terms of educational background:
| Restaurant Associate | Kitchen Staff | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between restaurant associates' and kitchen staff' demographics:
| Restaurant Associate | Kitchen Staff | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |