Gross earnings for a part-time dishwasher| Hours a week | At $13 an hour | At $15 an hour | At $18.57 an hour |
|---|
| 15 hours | $195 | $225 | $279 |
| 25 hours | $325 | $375 | $464 |
| 40 hours | $520 | $600 | $743 |
| 25 hours a week over 52 weeks | $16,900 | $19,500 | $24,141 |
Why do dishwashing shifts split?
Because the kitchen has two rushes and one crew, and the middle of the day does not pay for itself.
The lunch service and the dinner service both need a full team, and the gap between them is dead time for the dishwasher. The split shift solves it, and it costs the worker two commutes.
Two details decide whether a split shift is worth taking. Whether the break is paid, and whether the second arrival is guaranteed.
A split shift that is paid at both ends is a good deal, and a split shift where the worker waits unpaid for a call is not.
Our guide to part time catering staff staff hiring covers the event version of the same long day, and the travel cost works out the same way.
What should you check before you accept a dishwashing job?
Four questions, and the third one decides whether the rate is real.
The first is whether the shift is split or straight, and how many hours you are actually on site for the hours you are paid.
The second is the end time, because a close at midnight and a close at one in the morning are different commutes.
The third is the differential. Kitchens that run past midnight often pay a shift differential, and a $1.50 an hour differential on a 40 hour week is $3,120 a year.
The fourth is whether the role includes closing duties, because closing down a kitchen is a different job from washing.
Our guide to night shift part time jobs hiring covers the shift premium in general, and the published differentials there are the benchmark.
How do you find dishwasher work near you?
Restaurants hire dishwashers faster than any other kitchen role, which is why the walk-in is the most reliable route.
Three routes work. The first is the walk-in, because most independent restaurants still hire at the door and most dishwashers start that way. The second is the chain career sites, which post the role with the full wage band and the benefits terms.
The third is the referral, which is worth more in this role than in almost any other, because a kitchen manager who trusts one dishwasher will trust the next.
Our guide to part time retail jobs hiring near you covers the retail version of the same entry-level market.
Two questions to ask. Is the shift split, and is the differential published?
What changes about dishwasher work next?
Expect the role to shrink and the rate to hold, because the automation and the consolidation both point the same way.
Three forces shape the next two years. Dishwasher employment is projected to fall slightly through 2035, which is unusual in a growing food service sector. Dishwashing and food preparation are moving toward combined roles in tighter kitchens.
The third is equipment. High throughput dishwashers and warewashing systems have removed a lot of the manual handling from the role, which reduces the hours needed and raises the value of the people who stay.
For a candidate the conclusion is that the stepping stone matters more than the wage, because the kitchen role is how most people get into a restaurant that will promote them.
Next steps
Check the split shift and the differential before you check anything else.
- Compare the rate with the $15.00 dishwasher median and the $16.98 food preparation median
- Ask whether the shift is split, and how many hours you are on site
- Ask about the shift differential for the late hours
- Ask whether the role includes closing down the kitchen
- Check whether the break between split shifts is paid
- Ask what the progression path is, because the role turns over fast
One final thought. The pay figures here are occupation medians and published employer rates, which is the best guide available before an interview.
htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation profile gives the entry requirements and the training picture for kitchen support work, which is the quickest way to confirm that no experience is needed before you apply.
Photo: ERguille, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/plates-cups-still-life-kitchen-1348213/)
Fazlur Rahman
