Dishwasher job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

9

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$34,810

BLS May 2025

1. Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand. importance 4.5 of 5
2. Maintain kitchen work areas, equipment, or utensils in clean and orderly condition. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Place clean dishes, utensils, or cooking equipment in storage areas. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Stock supplies, such as food or utensils, in serving stations, cupboards, refrigerators, or salad bars. importance 3.9 of 5
5. Clean or prepare various foods for cooking or serving. importance 3.8 of 5
6. Sort and remove trash, placing it in designated pickup areas. importance 3.8 of 5
7. Transfer supplies or equipment between storage and work areas, by hand or using hand trucks. importance 3.7 of 5
8. Receive and store supplies. importance 3.6 of 5
9. Clean garbage cans with water or steam. importance 3.6 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Handling and Moving Objects, Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Training and Teaching Others and Performing General Physical Activities.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Load or unload trucks that deliver or pick up food or supplies.
• Prepare and package individual place settings.

Knowledge areas: English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Facebook, Microsoft Windows. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most dishwashers surveyed by O*NET (56%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Dishwasher
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Dishwasher to clean dishes, kitchen, food preparation equipment, or utensils.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand.
- Maintain kitchen work areas, equipment, or utensils in clean and orderly condition.
- Place clean dishes, utensils, or cooking equipment in storage areas.
- Stock supplies, such as food or utensils, in serving stations, cupboards, refrigerators, or salad bars.
- Clean or prepare various foods for cooking or serving.
- Sort and remove trash, placing it in designated pickup areas.
- Transfer supplies or equipment between storage and work areas, by hand or using hand trucks.
- Receive and store supplies.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in operation and control, coordination and time management
- Working knowledge of English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Facebook or Microsoft Windows]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $34,810 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $16.73. BLS estimates about 477,450 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of dishwashers to decline 1.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 68,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full dishwasher salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real dishwasher posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only dishwasher work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (operation and control and coordination); dishwasher interview questions turns them into practice questions.