Dishwasher Job Description: What to Include (+ Template)

A restaurant dishwasher job description outlines the duties, skills, schedule, and pay for the person who keeps dishes, utensils, and cookware clean and ready for service.

It also sets expectations you’ll need to follow through on once someone starts. While managers teach the station’s routines, Toast Payroll & Team Management helps handle new-hire paperwork and connect hours recorded in Toast POS with payroll.

Increase staff productivity, engagement, and retention with these insightful tips and solutions.

Here’s how to describe the role clearly, identify the skills that matter, and build your posting with a customizable template.

Key takeaways

• Dishwashers keep service moving by ensuring cooks and servers have clean equipment and serving pieces.

• A clear job description covers duties, pay, shifts, working conditions, and any additional responsibilities.

• Reliability, organization, teamwork, and willingness to learn matter even when applicants lack restaurant experience.

What does a restaurant dishwasher do?

A restaurant dishwasher washes and sanitizes dishes, glassware, utensils, pots, and pans, then returns them to the right stations. The role also includes keeping the dish area organized and completing assigned cleaning tasks.

That work supports the entire restaurant kitchen operation. A cook waiting for a clean pan or a server searching for silverware can’t keep service moving, even when everything else is ready.

As dishwasher Eddie Pearson explained in a 2018 interview with St. Louis Magazine, “Even though you’re a dishwasher, you’re ultimately thinking about the customers.” The responsibilities change throughout a shift.

A useful job description also makes these expectations clear:

• Safe handling: Follow training for cleaning chemicals, hot cookware, sharp utensils, and broken glass.

• Consistent sanitation: Check that items are clean and follow the restaurant’s washing and sanitizing procedures without rushing through required steps.

• Communication: Tell the supervisor about equipment problems, damaged items, low supplies, or shortages that could slow service.

• Additional duties: Specify whether the position includes bussing tables, receiving deliveries, or basic food preparation.

• Closing responsibilities: Explain that the shift may continue after the restaurant stops serving guests, and describe the expected schedule.

Use opening and closing checklists to turn those responsibilities into clear tasks. Employees should know what needs to be finished and who checks the station before they leave.

What skills and qualifications should a dishwasher have?

Dishwashing can be an entry-level restaurant job, and many employees learn the equipment and procedures through hands-on training. Previous experience can help, but reliability, organization, and a willingness to learn are often more useful than a long list of credentials.

The job still takes skill. In Houstonia’s January 2026 reporting, State of Grace dishwasher Kyra Grant explained: “Not everyone can manage the pace and match the speed of what’s being pushed out and what’s coming back.” That makes a steady routine and clear priorities important. Look for:

• Reliability: Arrives on time and communicates availability or attendance problems.

• Organization: Keeps dirty and clean items separated, maintains clear work areas, and knows where supplies belong.

• Attention to cleanliness: Checks finished items and notices when something needs rewashing.

• Teamwork: Responds to requests and tells coworkers when an item will take longer or a problem needs attention.

• Willingness to learn: Follows instructions, asks questions, and applies feedback.

• Relevant experience: Brings useful experience from restaurant work, commercial cleaning, or other hands-on roles.

When reviewing a dishwasher resume, look for examples of those qualities rather than the job title alone. A first-time restaurant applicant may still have experience following cleaning routines, working with a team, or managing several tasks.

Be equally clear about what the restaurant requires. Describe the actual shifts, working conditions, time spent standing, and essential lifting or carrying tasks. Use requirements that reflect the position rather than copying an arbitrary lifting limit or adding credentials the employee won’t need.

Restaurant dishwasher job description template

The sample below provides a starting point for your posting. Replace the brackets with accurate details and remove responsibilities that don’t apply. When writing restaurant job descriptions, give candidates a clear picture of both the work and the workplace. Include the training, pay, and benefits you actually offer.

Position details

Job title: Restaurant Dishwasher

Restaurant: [Restaurant name]

Location: [Address]

Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]

Pay: [$X–$Y per hour]

Schedule: [Expected days, shift times, weekly hours, and weekend requirements]

Reports to: [Kitchen manager, chef, or shift supervisor]

Job summary

[Restaurant name] is looking for a dependable dishwasher to help keep our kitchen clean, organized, and ready for service. You’ll wash and sanitize dishes, utensils, and cookware, return clean items to their stations, and work with the kitchen and service teams to keep supplies available throughout each shift.

We provide training on our equipment, cleaning procedures, and daily routines.

Responsibilities

• Scrape, sort, wash, rinse, and sanitize dishes, glassware, utensils, pots, and pans.

• Operate the dish machine and other cleaning equipment according to training.

• Check items for cleanliness, allow them to air-dry, and return them to designated storage areas.

• Prioritize cookware and serving pieces needed during service.

• Keep the dish station, sinks, floors, and assigned work areas clean and organized.

• Follow procedures for handling chemicals, hot items, sharp utensils, and broken glass.

• Remove trash and recycling and clean waste containers as assigned.

• Report equipment problems, damaged items, hazards, and low supplies to the supervisor.

• Complete opening and closing tasks, including cleaning and resetting the dish station.

• [Add any specific bussing, delivery-receiving, or food-preparation duties.]

Qualifications

• Dependable attendance and availability for [required shifts].

• Ability to follow cleaning and safety instructions.

• Clear communication and a cooperative approach to working with others.

• Ability to stay organized and adjust priorities during busy service periods.

• Ability to perform the position’s essential tasks, with reasonable accommodation where applicable: [describe actual standing, reaching, lifting, and carrying requirements].

• Comfortable working in a kitchen environment with heat, noise, and exposure to water.

• Previous dishwashing or commercial cleaning experience is helpful but not required.

• [Add any applicable role-specific training or certification requirements.]

Pay, benefits, and how to apply

We offer:

• Hourly pay: [$X–$Y].

• Training: [Describe paid training and support provided].

• Benefits: [List benefits actually available and any eligibility conditions].

• Development opportunities: [Describe cross-training or advancement opportunities, if offered].

To apply, [provide the application link, email address, or in-person instructions]. Please include [the information needed, such as availability and relevant experience].

For questions or accommodation requests during the application process, contact [name or department and contact details].

[Insert the restaurant’s applicable equal-opportunity statement.]

Set your dishwasher up for a strong first shift

A clear job description helps you find someone who understands the work. From there, good training, a well-organized station, and a team willing to help can make a busy shift more manageable.

Getting the basics right includes paperwork, hours, and pay. Toast Payroll & Team Management lets new hires complete onboarding paperwork on their phones and connects hours recorded in Toast POS with payroll, giving managers more time to help their new dishwasher learn the job.

FAQ

What are the responsibilities of a dishwasher?

A restaurant dishwasher washes and sanitizes dishes, utensils, and cookware, returns clean items to their stations, keeps the dish area organized, and completes assigned cleaning and closing tasks.

What skills does a dishwasher need?

A dishwasher needs reliability, organization, attention to cleanliness, clear communication, and the ability to prioritize tasks during busy service periods.

Is prior experience required to become a dishwasher?

Prior experience is often helpful but not required, since many restaurants provide hands-on training in equipment use, sanitation, and daily routines.

What are typical dishwasher working hours?

Dishwashers may work daytime, evening, weekend, or holiday shifts, with closing shifts often continuing after guest service ends so the team can finish cleaning and reset the station.

What is the difference between a dishwasher and a kitchen porter?

A dishwasher primarily cleans dishes and cookware, while a kitchen porter often handles broader support duties such as cleaning, moving supplies, and basic food preparation, although the roles can overlap.

How much does a dishwasher get paid?

Dishwasher pay varies by location, employer, experience, and shift requirements, so the job description should state the restaurant’s actual hourly pay range and any available benefits.