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First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $44,080 Median per year · $21.19/hr Most earn $29,940–$65,570

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Purchase or requisition supplies and equipment needed to ensure quality and timely delivery of services.
  • Perform food preparation and serving duties, such as carving meat, preparing flambe dishes, or serving wine and liquor.
  • Perform personnel actions, such as hiring and firing staff, providing employee orientation and training, and conducting supervisory activities, such as creating work schedules or organizing employee time sheets.
  • Perform various financial activities, such as cash handling, deposit preparation, and payroll.
  • Analyze operational problems, such as theft and wastage, and establish procedures to alleviate these problems.
  • Record production, operational, and personnel data on specified forms.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth; Numerous Job Openings

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 171,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Full-service restaurants24.2%
  • Special food services4.3%
  • Elementary and secondary schools2.9%
  • Grocery and specialty food retailers2.8%
  • Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This career usually doesn't require a degree. Most people earn a high school diploma, work in food service for about 6 months to 1 year, and then move into a supervisor role. Pay varies by location, so check the career page for typical pay near you and nationally.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finishing high school gives you the basic education most employers ask for and builds the reading, math, and communication skills you'll use when training and directing others.

  2. Line Cook or Food Server

    6 months to 1 year

    Working on a kitchen line or serving tables teaches you food safety, how a busy shift runs, and how to work well with a team, which are the skills supervisors rely on.

  3. First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

    Ongoing

    You take charge of a shift or station, assign tasks, train new workers, check food quality and safety, and make sure customers are served well.

Where it can lead

  1. Food Service Manager

    3-5 years of experience first

    You move from running a shift to managing the whole restaurant or food operation, which includes budgets, hiring, scheduling, and ordering supplies. Many people prepare for this by learning accounting basics and taking management training.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take family and consumer sciences or culinary classesThese classes teach cooking basics, food safety, and kitchen teamwork, which are the everyday skills this job uses.
  • Get a part-time job in a restaurant or cafeteriaEven a few hours a week gives you real experience with food service pace, customers, and coworkers, which employers look for.
  • Join a club that involves leading a team, like FFA or student governmentLeading a group builds confidence in assigning tasks, solving problems, and communicating clearly.
  • Earn a food handler certificate if your school or town offers a courseIt shows you understand food safety, a core responsibility for anyone who supervises food workers.
  • Volunteer to help with community meals or eventsVolunteering lets you practice organizing people and food service under time pressure.

In college

  • Take courses in food service management or hospitalityClasses in food safety, purchasing, and restaurant operations give you the knowledge supervisors use every day.
  • Work a campus dining or restaurant jobWorking in campus dining or a local restaurant builds hands-on experience and a record of responsibility that supervisors need.
  • Apply for a shift lead or trainer roleTaking on lead duties while still a student shows you can supervise others before you apply for a supervisor position.
  • Get a food safety certificationA recognized food safety credential is a simple, useful addition to your resume and shows employers you know the rules.
  • Join a student club for hospitality or businessClubs help you build teamwork, planning, and communication skills and connect you with people in the industry.

Tips for getting started

  • Get a food handler or food safety certificate early. Many restaurants value it, and it shows you take the safety side of the job seriously.
  • Ask for shifts where you can lead, like opening or closing or training a new hire. Supervisors are often chosen from workers who already show leadership.
  • Keep a simple record of your reliable attendance, the tasks you've taken on, and any praise you've received. It helps when you apply for a lead or supervisor job.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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