How To Become A Catering Coordinator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a catering coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A catering coordinator is an individual responsible for planning and executing all aspects of catering events, from menu planning to logistics and staffing. They work closely with clients to understand their needs and preferences, and then coordinate with vendors and suppliers to ensure a successful event. They must have excellent communication skills and strong organizational and problem-solving abilities to handle issues that arise. Overall, a catering coordinator ensures that events run smoothly and exceed expectations.

ScoreCatering CoordinatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,576

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 6.29%

Black or African American 10.33%

Hispanic or Latino 20.33%

Unknown 5.12%

White 57.07%

Gender

female 76.15%

male 23.85%

Age - 34

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 - 34

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a catering coordinator?

Pros

Exciting and fast-paced work environment
Opportunity to be creative and innovative in menu planning
Potential for flexible scheduling
Chance to be part of special events and celebrations
Potential for competitive pay and benefits

Cons

Often requires long hours, including weekends and holidays
May have to work in a variety of settings, including outdoors and in less-than-ideal conditions
Requires strong attention to detail and the ability to manage budgets effectively
Potential for high stress levels and burnout if not managed properly
May require extensive travel or working away from home for extended periods of time.

Key steps to become a catering coordinator

Explore catering coordinator education requirements

Most common catering coordinator degrees

Bachelor's

55.8 %

Associate

20.5 %

High School Diploma

14.1 %

Start to develop specific catering coordinator skills

Skills	Percentages
Food Service	68.65%
Customer Service	8.63%
Food Preparation	3.80%
Work Ethic	2.66%
Reservations	1.74%

Complete relevant catering coordinator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New catering coordinators 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 catering coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real catering coordinator resumes.

Research catering coordinator duties and responsibilities

Manage the accuracy and the punctuality of deliveries.
Manage proposals, conduct red team reviews, and write RFP technical responses.
Manage RFP's; review contracts; and coordinate with select vendors from planning to implementation.
Obtain new and manage existing customers by building a reputation of knowledge, punctuality, and accountability.

Prepare your catering coordinator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your catering coordinator 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 catering coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable catering coordinator resume templates

Build a professional catering coordinator 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 catering coordinator resume.