What Do Food Service Manager Do?
Career Description Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
Food Service Manager Responsibilities
- Schedule use of facilities or catering services for events such as banquets or receptions, and negotiate details of arrangements with clients.
- Order and purchase equipment and supplies.
- Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption to anticipate amounts to be purchased or requisitioned.
- Review menus and analyze recipes to determine labor and overhead costs, and assign prices to menu items.
- Monitor employee and patron activities to ensure liquor regulations are obeyed.
- Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
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Food Service Manager Required Skills
When polled, Food Service Managers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Other Food Service Manager Job Titles
- Hospitality Manager
- Cafeteria Operator
- Cafeteria Director
- General Manager
- Cook Manager
What Kind of Food Service Manager Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 308,700 jobs for Food Service Manager in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 27,700 new jobs for Food Service Manager by 2026. The BLS estimates 36,800 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Food Service Manager are Utah, Washington, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Maine, or West Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Food Service Manager Average Salary
The average yearly salary of a Food Service Manager ranges between $31,580 and $92,410.

Food Service Managers who work in New Jersey, New York, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Food Service Managers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $58,590 |
Alaska | $68,390 |
Arizona | $58,640 |
Arkansas | $48,760 |
California | $57,920 |
Connecticut | $75,130 |
Delaware | $76,040 |
District of Columbia | $70,980 |
Florida | $61,160 |
Georgia | $52,660 |
Hawaii | $66,130 |
Idaho | $47,000 |
Illinois | $51,440 |
Indiana | $52,280 |
Iowa | $46,620 |
Kansas | $54,870 |
Kentucky | $51,160 |
Louisiana | $64,530 |
Maine | $63,410 |
Maryland | $72,870 |
Massachusetts | $68,770 |
Michigan | $61,800 |
Minnesota | $58,900 |
Mississippi | $48,570 |
Missouri | $53,390 |
Montana | $57,200 |
Nebraska | $46,220 |
Nevada | $69,220 |
New Hampshire | $64,360 |
New Jersey | $82,340 |
New Mexico | $55,530 |
New York | $77,760 |
North Carolina | $59,340 |
North Dakota | $54,700 |
Ohio | $53,810 |
Oklahoma | $50,650 |
Oregon | $52,110 |
Pennsylvania | $66,680 |
Rhode Island | $66,870 |
South Carolina | $61,110 |
South Dakota | $52,880 |
Tennessee | $47,240 |
Texas | $61,610 |
Utah | $46,030 |
Vermont | $58,320 |
Virginia | $65,800 |
Washington | $77,970 |
West Virginia | $47,230 |
Wisconsin | $50,880 |
Wyoming | $52,070 |
What Tools & Technology do Food Service Managers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Food Service Managers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Project
- Database software
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Google Docs
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Google Drive
- Adobe Systems Adobe Flash
- Delphi Technology
- IBM Domino
- Oracle Taleo
- Apache Groovy
- Inventory management software
- ValuSoft MasterCook
Becoming a Food Service Manager
What kind of Food Service Manager requirements are there?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Food Service Manager?

Where Food Service Managers Are Employed

Food Service Managers work in the following industries:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Food Service Manager may also be interested in:
Those who work as a Food Service Manager sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Bblackpsu via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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