Your work. Your records.
Dishwasher Workplace Records Guide
Dishwashing work includes sorting, cleaning, storing and keeping the surrounding kitchen usable. A concern about shift length or performance may depend on closing duties that continue after service slows. Prepare a sequence showing the work assigned to you, equipment interruptions and when you were released from the shift.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Closing sequence
List final washing, storage, floor cleaning and other assigned tasks in the order you completed them.
Added assignment
Record who directed a move to restocking or food preparation and when you returned to dish duties.
Time comparison
Keep your own original time entry, any correction request and the response for the affected shift.
Start with the work you actually do
Clean dishes, kitchen, food preparation equipment, or utensils.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Dishwashers (35-9021.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand.Source task 11186 · updated 08/2025
- Maintain kitchen work areas, equipment, or utensils in clean and orderly condition.Source task 11188 · updated 08/2025
- Place clean dishes, utensils, or cooking equipment in storage areas.Source task 11187 · updated 08/2025
- Sweep or scrub floors.Source task 11190 · updated 08/2025
- Stock supplies, such as food or utensils, in serving stations, cupboards, refrigerators, or salad bars.Source task 11189 · updated 08/2025
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Dishwashers (SOC 35-9021). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $12.25 | $13.91 | $15.05 | $28,930 |
| Alaska | $14.18 | $16.29 | $16.72 | $33,890 |
| Arizona | $16.20 | $16.89 | $17.98 | $35,130 |
| Arkansas | $12.32 | $13.24 | $14.23 | $27,540 |
| Connecticut | $16.60 | $17.09 | $17.88 | $35,550 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $17.20 | $18.07 | $35,780 |
| Florida | $14.00 | $15.02 | $16.90 | $31,240 |
| Georgia | $12.34 | $14.29 | $17.00 | $29,730 |
| Hawaii | $15.50 | $18.14 | $23.39 | $37,740 |
| Idaho | $12.00 | $14.39 | $18.25 | $29,920 |
| Indiana | $12.71 | $14.17 | $16.61 | $29,480 |
| Iowa | $12.61 | $14.09 | $16.22 | $29,300 |
| Kansas | $11.03 | $13.49 | $16.55 | $28,060 |
| Kentucky | $11.75 | $13.97 | $16.25 | $29,060 |
| Louisiana | $10.50 | $12.71 | $14.08 | $26,440 |
| Maine | $15.58 | $17.13 | $18.32 | $35,620 |
| Michigan | $13.50 | $15.05 | $17.31 | $31,300 |
| Minnesota | $14.05 | $16.38 | $17.39 | $34,060 |
| Mississippi | $10.58 | $12.64 | $13.47 | $26,300 |
| Missouri | $14.37 | $15.46 | $17.32 | $32,150 |
| Montana | $13.12 | $14.49 | $17.28 | $30,130 |
| Nebraska | $13.50 | $14.30 | $17.25 | $29,740 |
| New Hampshire | $13.70 | $16.81 | $18.63 | $34,960 |
| New Mexico | $13.78 | $14.67 | $17.06 | $30,520 |
| New York | $16.58 | $17.04 | $18.44 | $35,450 |
| North Carolina | $13.48 | $14.59 | $16.90 | $30,340 |
| North Dakota | $12.60 | $14.41 | $17.16 | $29,980 |
| Ohio | $12.72 | $14.19 | $16.57 | $29,520 |
| Oklahoma | $11.12 | $13.17 | $14.43 | $27,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $11.69 | $14.40 | $16.74 | $29,950 |
| Rhode Island | $15.16 | $16.33 | $17.48 | $33,960 |
| South Dakota | $12.39 | $13.56 | $14.81 | $28,190 |
| Tennessee | $13.47 | $14.68 | $17.55 | $30,530 |
| Texas | $12.31 | $14.23 | $16.49 | $29,610 |
| Utah | $13.50 | $15.30 | $17.19 | $31,830 |
| Vermont | $14.53 | $17.31 | $18.34 | $36,010 |
| Virginia | $13.82 | $15.93 | $17.58 | $33,130 |
| West Virginia | $10.72 | $12.72 | $13.86 | $26,460 |
| Wisconsin | $10.57 | $13.98 | $16.67 | $29,070 |
| Wyoming | $13.00 | $14.23 | $17.52 | $29,600 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Separate the dish cycle from other duties
List whether you washed by machine or by hand, stored equipment, scrubbed floors or restocked serving areas during the period at issue. Note when a supervisor added food preparation or another assignment. Distinguish a quiet service period from time spent on assigned cleanup; the absence of incoming dishes does not describe all work performed.
Record equipment and supply problems
Describe a malfunction, missing cleaning supply or blocked work area in your own observations. Note when you reported it and whether you were directed to wait, use another method or move tasks. Do not guess at a technical diagnosis or claim a legal violation from the condition alone. Identify any relevant institutional maintenance record without taking it.
Connect closing tasks to your own records
Compare your account with your posted schedule, time entry and pay period. Keep permitted messages about remaining cleanup and any request to correct your time. Avoid photographing private kitchen records or customers. When exact timing is uncertain, describe the task sequence and label estimates rather than inventing a precise end time.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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