Dishwasher

A dishwasher operates commercial or institutional dishwashing equipment in kitchens, cafes, restaurants, or catering facilities to clean and sanitise dishes, glassware, cutlery, and kitchen equipment. The role involves loading and unloading dishwashing machines, handling chemical sanitisers, and managing the flow of clean and soiled items to support food service operations. Work is fast-paced, physically demanding, and requires adherence to food safety and workplace hygiene standards.

Load soiled dishes, glassware, cutlery, and kitchen equipment into commercial dishwashing machines according to manufacturer specifications. Unload clean items from dishwashing machines and sort into designated storage areas. Monitor and adjust water temperature, detergent concentration, and sanitiser levels in dishwashing equipment to ensure effective cleaning. Rinse heavily soiled items by hand before machine washing to improve cleaning outcomes. Inspect cleaned dishes and glassware for residue, stains, or damage and report defective items. Handle chemical detergents and sanitisers safely, following product safety data sheets and workplace safety procedures. Stack and store clean dishes, glassware, and equipment in designated locations to maintain kitchen workflow. Maintain dishwashing area hygiene by wiping down benches, floors, and equipment throughout shifts.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education (ABS skill level 5). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The pay is low and unlikely to increase much without moving into chef or kitchen management roles. You'll be on your feet the whole shift in a hot, wet environment handling strong chemicals. The work is repetitive and can feel invisible. Hospitality also means split shifts, weekends, and late nights are normal.

These jobs concentrate in major cities and regional centres wherever there are hotels, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and aged care facilities. You'll find work in hospitality precincts and business districts. Practically speaking, regional areas have fewer options and more competition for each position.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8513, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Clean kitchen equipmentcore
• Multitaskingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workflow Prioritisationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Carry out stock rotation
• Check deliveries on receipt
• Clean surfaces
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Incident Reporting
• Inventory Tracking
• Process Improvement Identification
• Risk Identification

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Dishwasher workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026