Tray line worker vs food preparation worker

The differences between tray line workers and food preparation workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food preparation worker has an average salary of $25,004, which is higher than the $24,035 average annual salary of a tray line worker.

The top three skills for a tray line worker include tray line, patients and kitchen equipment. The most important skills for a food preparation worker are customer service, food handling, and clean rooms.

Tray line worker vs food preparation worker overview

	Tray Line Worker	Food Preparation Worker
Yearly salary	$24,035	$25,004
Hourly rate	$11.56	$12.02
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	76,868	65,654
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Tray line worker vs food preparation worker salary

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

	Tray Line Worker	Food Preparation Worker
Average salary	$24,035	$25,004
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $31,000	Between $18,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	-	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between tray line worker and food preparation worker education

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

	Tray Line Worker	Food Preparation Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 56%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tray line worker vs food preparation worker demographics

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

	Tray Line Worker	Food Preparation Worker
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9%	Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 5.8% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 tray line worker and food preparation worker duties and responsibilities

Tray line worker example responsibilities.

Prepare and go out to different homes, on campus, to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, to patients
Assist with planning and directing food preparation and culinary activities along with safely handling and storing all products appropriately.
Provide culinary and kitchen maintenance skills for both non-profit organization and private residence.

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.

Tray line worker vs food preparation worker skills

Common tray line worker skills

Tray Line, 30%
Patients, 30%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Food Trays, 8%
Production Orders, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

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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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Tray Line Worker
Tray Line Worker vs Food Preparation Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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