Occupation salary profile

Food Service Managers

SOC 11-9051 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages. Excludes “Chefs and Head Cooks” (35-1011).

National median · BLS
$69,390
▲ +6.25% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$76,125
▲ +13.62% YoY · 28 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$74,880
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
238,430
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Food Service Managers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 28 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$45,960$47,715
25th$56,870$58,182
Median (50th)$69,390$76,125
75th$86,800$85,274
90th — top pay$107,640$112,200
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $76,125 for Food Service Managers — 9.7% above the BLS national median of $69,390.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Food Service Managers

BLS projects employment of food service managers to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 38,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
344,300 → 364,200
+19,900 jobs
Projected change
+5.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
38,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
30.6% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $76,125
Change vs prior year +13.62%
After inflation (CPI-U) +10.17%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Food Service Managers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Coordination3.9
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.9
  • Monitoring3.9
  • Speaking3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Service Orientation3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Social Perceptiveness3.6
  • Time Management3.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.5
  • Administration and Management4.1
  • Food Production4.0
  • English Language3.5
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.5
  • Sales and Marketing3.4
  • Mathematics3.4
  • Administrative3.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareFacebookGoogle DocsIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft WordAestiva Employee Time ClockApache GroovyArmy Food Management Information SystemAurora FoodProChefDesk Chef's CalculatorsClubSoft Food & Beverage Point of SaleCulinary Software Services ChefTecDatabase softwareDataTeam Lunch Express

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What food service managers do

  • Count money and make bank deposits.
  • Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.
  • Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies.
  • Schedule staff hours and assign duties.
  • Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
  • Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
  • Perform some food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary.
  • Monitor budgets and payroll records, and review financial transactions to ensure that expenditures are authorized and budgeted.
Also called
F and B Manager (Food and Beverage Manager)Food Service DirectorFood Service ManagerRestaurant ManagerBanquet ManagerCatering ManagerCDM (Certified Dietary Manager)Dining Service DirectorFood Service SupervisorKitchen Manager
More job titles for this occupation (35)
Banquet DirectorCafe OperatorCafeteria DirectorCafeteria ManagerCafeteria OperatorCatering CoordinatorCatering DirectorCFPP (Certified Food Protection Professional)Chef ManagerConcessionaireCook ManagerDeli ManagerDietary ManagerDietary SupervisorDining Room ManagerF and B Director (Food and Beverage Director)Fast Food Services ManagerFlight Kitchen ManagerFood GM (Food General Manager)Food Production ManagerFood Service GM (Food Service General Manager)Food Service SpecialistFront of House Manager (FOH Manager)GM (General Manager)Hospitality ManagerLiquor Establishment ManagerLuncheonette OperatorLunchroom OperatorMenu PlannerRestaurant GM (Restaurant General Manager)RestaurateurSaloon KeeperShift ManagerTavern KeeperTavern Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.