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Food Service Managers

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.

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.

High 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 $69,390 Median per year · $33.36/hr Most earn $45,960–$107,640

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Take dining reservations.
  • Test cooked food by tasting and smelling it to ensure palatability and flavor conformity.
  • Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.
  • Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner.
  • Schedule use of facilities or catering services for events such as banquets or receptions, and negotiate details of arrangements with clients.
  • Review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 38,800 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

  • Self-employed (their own business)30.6%
  • Full-service restaurants24.8%
  • Special food services4.8%
  • Management of companies and enterprises2.1%

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

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

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: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Food service managers usually aren't hired straight out of school. Most people first spend about 1 to 2 years working in restaurant or cafeteria jobs, learning the kitchen and the floor, before moving into management. A certificate or apprenticeship in food service helps.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a base in math, writing, and speaking, and get a first food-handling or food-safety course if your school or local health department offers one. This gets you ready for paid food service work.

  2. Cook, Restaurant

    3-6 months

    Start in a kitchen or line job to learn food prep, safety, timing, and how a busy service runs. This experience is what supervisors look for when promoting.

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

    6 months to 1 year

    Take charge of a shift, schedule workers, and handle customers and problems. Supervising teaches the leadership skills managers need.

  4. Food Service Manager

    Reached after about 1-2 years of related work

    Plan menus, budgets, staffing, ordering, and food safety for a whole restaurant, cafeteria, or food operation. A certificate or apprenticeship in food service management is commonly expected.

Where it can lead

  1. Food and Beverage Director

    Several years as a food service manager of experience first

    Oversee food and beverage operations across several outlets or a large venue such as a hotel or resort, with more budget and strategy work. It usually takes a strong track record running a single operation first.

  2. General Manager of a restaurant or food operation

    Several years as a food service manager of experience first

    Run the whole business, including profit and loss, hiring for leadership roles, and long-term planning. Moving up often depends on showing you can grow sales and manage a team of managers.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and business or economics classesBudgeting, percentages, and basic accounting are used every day in managing food operations.
  • Take a family and consumer sciences or foods classIt teaches kitchen safety, nutrition, and basic food prep, which are the foundation for food service work.
  • Get a part-time job at a restaurant, cafe, or grocery deliReal experience with customers, teamwork, and busy shifts is what employers and promotions look for.
  • Volunteer to help with school or community mealsHelping plan and serve food for events builds organizing skills and shows you can handle responsibility.
  • Join a leadership club like FBLA or a student councilRunning meetings, events, and budgets gives you early practice in managing people and money.

In college

  • Study hospitality, food service management, or businessA major or certificate in these areas covers menu planning, costing, and operations, which are central to this job.
  • Earn a food safety or food handler certificationMost food service employers expect this, and it's a quick way to make your resume stronger.
  • Work a campus dining or food service jobCampus dining halls and cafes are real food operations where you can see managers at work and learn the basics.
  • Look for an internship or apprenticeship at a restaurant, hotel, or catering companyHands-on training while you're still in school gives you the experience that moves you up faster.
  • Join a hospitality or culinary student groupClubs and competitions connect you with people in the field and give you practice leading events.

Tips for getting started

  • Get a food safety certification early. It's often required for food service jobs and shows managers you take the work seriously.
  • Ask for shifts that let you see the whole operation: prep, service, ordering, and closing. Managers are built from people who understand every part of the business.
  • Practice leading small things now, like leading a group project, a club event, or a team at a part-time job. Leadership is a big part of this career.

Related jobs that often lead here

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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