How To Become A Cafeteria Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cafeteria manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a cafeteria manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.62 an hour? That's $32,485 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 32,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCafeteria ManagerUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,485

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 8.34%

Black or African American 13.25%

Hispanic or Latino 15.17%

Unknown 5.03%

White 57.64%

Gender

female 76.32%

male 23.68%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cafeteria manager

Explore cafeteria manager education requirements

Most common cafeteria manager degrees

Associate

30.6 %

High School Diploma

28.1 %

Bachelor's

27.5 %

Start to develop specific cafeteria manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Equipment	17.82%
Food Safety	14.56%
Bank Deposits	9.09%
Payroll	8.37%
ServSafe	5.85%

Complete relevant cafeteria manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cafeteria managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cafeteria manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cafeteria manager resumes.

Gain additional cafeteria manager certifications

Cafeteria manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific cafeteria manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for cafeteria managers include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Food Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research cafeteria manager duties and responsibilities

Manage three main cafeterias and multiple internal plant cafeteria sites.
Manage cafeteria as well as ordering groceries and other supplies and making sure all paper work is done.
Manage festival concessions, including product selection, vendor management and volunteer training.
Train staff as it relates to food preparation procedures and safety regulations and POS system.

Prepare your cafeteria manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cafeteria manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a cafeteria manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable cafeteria manager resume templates

Build a professional cafeteria manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your cafeteria manager resume.