How to hire a caterer

How to hire a caterer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step caterer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a caterer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new caterer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a caterer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The caterer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A caterer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, caterers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of caterers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Caterer	Description	Hourly rate
   Caterer		$10-17
   Front Of House Manager	A front of house manager coordinates and supervises the front house team. Front of house managers make sure that every client receives a warm welcome... Show more	$12-29
   Food And Beverage Supervisor	A Food and Beverage Supervisors role is to make sure that guests food and beverage expectations are being met or exceeded. They supervise all of the issues related to a patrons dining experience, like quality control, staff management, health and safety regulations.	$14-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Service
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Food Delivery
   • Banquet Service
   • Bartending
   • Fine Dining
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Customer Service
   • Buffets
   • Event Planning
   • Food Trays
   • Prep Food
   • Private Parties
   • Food Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help serve foods from buffet to ADM employees.
   • Plan and prepare meals for the local Headstart program.
   • Set up's and breaking down of parties, service, bartending
   • Set up tables, action stations, buffets, service carts, dessert table/carts and cordial carts.
   • Serve and wait on diners in traditional sit-down meal settings as well as buffets and drink bars.
   • Perform bartending for many events, often individually.

   More caterer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your caterer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A caterer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a caterer in Mississippi may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level caterer usually earns less than a senior-level caterer. Additionally, a caterer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average caterer salary

   $13.89hourly

   $28,891 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level caterer salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average caterer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$33,897	$16
   2	Connecticut	$33,655	$16
   3	California	$33,243	$16
   4	Virginia	$32,682	$16
   5	Minnesota	$32,414	$16
   6	Colorado	$31,191	$15
   7	North Dakota	$29,218	$14
   8	Pennsylvania	$28,309	$14
   9	Nebraska	$27,927	$13
   10	North Carolina	$26,651	$13
   11	Illinois	$26,392	$13
   12	Texas	$26,210	$13
   13	Ohio	$26,101	$13
   14	Indiana	$25,998	$13
   15	Kansas	$25,804	$12
   16	Tennessee	$25,773	$12
   17	Arizona	$25,533	$12
   18	Florida	$25,373	$12
   19	Kentucky	$24,884	$12
   20	Wisconsin	$24,507	$12

   Average caterer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The College of St. Scholastica	$36,532	$17.56
   2	Hoosier Energy	$33,417	$16.07
   3	H-E-B	$32,475	$15.61
   4	University of Richmond	$31,226	$15.01
   5	Pro Health Care Services	$30,748	$14.78
   6	The Medical Center Inc	$30,728	$14.77
   7	Compass Group USA	$30,514	$14.67	94
   8	Live Nation Entertainment	$30,245	$14.54
   9	South Georgia Medical Center	$30,100	$14.47
   10	Warner Bros.	$29,985	$14.42
   11	Dickinson College	$29,247	$14.06
   12	Seattle Children's Healthcare System	$29,198	$14.04
   13	Lakeview	$29,161	$14.02
   14	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$29,160	$14.02	1
   15	WarnerMedia	$29,033	$13.96
   16	ISS A/S	$28,888	$13.89
   17	Corner Bakery Cafe	$28,732	$13.81	1
   18	Giant Eagle	$28,639	$13.77	2
   19	Aramark	$28,554	$13.73	5
   20	Marriott International	$28,169	$13.54

4. Writing a caterer job description

   A caterer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a caterer job description:

   Caterer job description example

   Manages food service/housekeeping operations of 100+ customers, with catering crew of 10 or more the norm. The typical Executive Steward has excellent communication and leadership skills, has extensive experience planning and costing menus, training staff, and has a positive customer service attitude.

   Steward

   Manages foodservice/housekeeping operations and is directly responsible for preparing meals while supervising a crew of 7 or less. The typical Steward has good communication and leadership skills, can plan and cost menus, train staff, and has a positive customer service attitude.

   Night Cook / Baker

   This position is for those who wish to move up to a Steward/Executive Steward position. Required skills include ability to assist with preparation of and following a menu, ability to prepare short-order breakfast and grill items, work with larger cuts of meat and prepare a wide variety of baked goods from scratch. The Night Cook/Baker may work alone or supervise up to two people.

   Galley Hand

   This is an entry level position for those who want to learn the field. Basic skills are taught, and the primary requirement is an ability to follow instructions and to have a team-centered approach to work.

   Please take into consideration that this position is an offshore position . You will be required to work in remote locations with very limited access to telephones for several weeks at a time. You must provide your own transportation to the crew change locations, which range from 45 minutes to 3 hours (or more) from the Greater New Orleans area. Crew changes are usually in the early morning hours (5 am-6 am).

   You must certify that:

   You are not afraid of heights, flying, or flying in a helicopter.

   You are not afraid of water, the ocean, and that you know how to swim.

   You have worked offshore and have offshore experience.

   About Us: ESS Support Services Worldwide is the specialty division of Compass Group providing premier catering and support services to offshore and remote sites. Our experience brings to our clients our visions of Great People, Great Service and Great Results in a cost-effective, results-oriented package for clients we support around the world. ESS offers a progressive and innovative approach with a rapid response to customers and offshore employees. ESS is the market leader in providing remote food service and related support assistance to clients, wherever their location, no matter how extreme the environment may be.

   
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   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right caterer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your caterer job on Zippia to find and recruit caterer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with caterer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new caterer

   Once you've found the caterer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new caterer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a caterer?