State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Food Service Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Food Service Managers earn a median of $69,390 per year ($33.36/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 6.4% through 2034, with about 42,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 11-9051ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $69,390
- Projected growth
- +6.4%
- Openings a year
- 42,000
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Banquet Manager, Catering Manager, CDM (Certified Dietary Manager), Dining Service Director, F and B Manager (Food and Beverage Manager), Food Service Director.
How much do Food Service Managers make?
10th percentile$45,960
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$56,870
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$69,390
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$86,800
Upper quartile
90th percentile$107,640
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $69,390 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $33.36/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $74,880 |
| People employed | 238,430 |
Versus all US occupations
At $69,390, Food Service Managers earn 36% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $18,410 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 45% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $107,640 or more while the bottom 10% earn $45,960, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 55% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $95,190, and still leads at $88,952 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Food Service Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $95,190 | $88,952 | 1,180 |
| Massachusetts | $92,240 | $87,219 | 4,310 |
| Hawaii | $87,800 | $79,854 | 1,230 |
| New York | $84,200 | $78,020 | 8,000 |
| Rhode Island | $82,850 | $81,003 | 760 |
| Alaska | $82,030 | $80,140 | 380 |
| District of Columbia | $81,680 | $74,321 | 1,000 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $80,570 | N/A | 140 |
| Colorado | $79,870 | $77,505 | 2,440 |
| Minnesota | $79,820 | $80,936 | 730 |
Is Food Service Manager a growing career?
Food Service Managers6.4%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.4% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Food Service Managers to change 6.4% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.1× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 22,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 42,000 openings are projected each year, 11.9% of the 352,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Food service managers will be needed to oversee food preparation and service as people continue to dine out, purchase takeout meals, and have food delivered to their homes or workplaces. However, more dining establishments are expected to rely on chefs and head cooks instead of hiring additional food service managers, which should limit employment growth in this occupation.
How to become a Food Service Manager
Food service managers typically need a high school diploma and several years of experience in the food service industry working as a cook, waiter or waitress, or supervisor of food preparation and serving workers. Some receive additional training at a community college, technical or vocational school, culinary school, or 4-year college.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as food service managers.
- High School Diploma29.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate21.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)18.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma16.1%
- Bachelor's Degree9.7%
What does a Food Service Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants or other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it runs efficiently.
Day-to-day tasks
- Review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety.
- Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
- Perform some food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary.
- Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.
- Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
- Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and serving, and building maintenance in lodging and dining facilities.
- Order and purchase equipment and supplies.
- Arrange for equipment maintenance and repairs, and coordinate a variety of services, such as waste removal and pest control.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where food service managers work
| Food services and drinking places | 56% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 30% |
| Traveler accommodation | 3% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 2% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Reading Comprehension3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.6/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Learning Strategies3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination3.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.6/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Negotiation3.1/5
- Instructing3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Communications server software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Food Service Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.2
Investigative2.0
Artistic1.6
Social3.5
Enterprisingprimary6.0
Conventionalprimary5.1
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Food Service Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Food Service Managers make?
Food Service Managers earn a median of $69,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 36% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $33.36/hr. The middle half earn between $56,870 and $86,800. The top 10% earn $107,640 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Food Service Manager?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Food Service Managers. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 29.7% hold high school diploma.
Is Food Service Manager a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 42,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Food Service Manager do?
Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants or other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. A core O*NET task: review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Food Service Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Food Service Managers are Washington ($95,190), Massachusetts ($92,240), Hawaii ($87,800) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Food Service Manager?
O*NET scores Food Service Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.