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The differences between cafeteria managers and food service directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cafeteria manager and a food service director. Additionally, a food service director has an average salary of $53,939, which is higher than the $32,485 average annual salary of a cafeteria manager.
The top three skills for a cafeteria manager include kitchen equipment, food safety and bank deposits. The most important skills for a food service director are customer service, culinary, and servsafe.
| Cafeteria Manager | Food Service Director | |
| Yearly salary | $32,485 | $53,939 |
| Hourly rate | $15.62 | $25.93 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 66,736 | 136,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Cafeteria managers and food service directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cafeteria Manager | Food Service Director | |
| Average salary | $32,485 | $53,939 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $48,000 | Between $35,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Waterbury, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Baptist Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a cafeteria manager and a food service director in terms of educational background:
| Cafeteria Manager | Food Service Director | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between cafeteria managers' and food service directors' demographics:
| Cafeteria Manager | Food Service Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3% | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.3% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |