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Best states for a catering & event manager
Quoted expert
Dr. Jokima Hiller
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to catering & event manager jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of catering & event managers in America is $79,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for catering & event managers.If you are currently seeking employment as a catering & event manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for catering & event managers in 2026
1. New Jersey
Total catering & event manager jobs: 840 Average annual salary: $64,691 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
2. New York
Total catering & event manager jobs: 1,301 Average annual salary: $64,598 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
3. Utah
Total catering & event manager jobs: 401 Average annual salary: $57,405 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
4. Rhode Island
Total catering & event manager jobs: 103 Average annual salary: $62,269 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
5. Pennsylvania
Total catering & event manager jobs: 1,561 Average annual salary: $55,065 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
6. California
Total catering & event manager jobs: 2,330 Average annual salary: $67,505 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
7. Connecticut
Total catering & event manager jobs: 335 Average annual salary: $58,017 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
8. North Carolina
Total catering & event manager jobs: 1,326 Average annual salary: $52,186 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
9. Nevada
Total catering & event manager jobs: 125 Average annual salary: $60,479 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.59
10. Massachusetts
Total catering & event manager jobs: 927 Average annual salary: $56,749 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
Catering & event manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a catering & event manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a catering & event manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $64,691 | $39,000 | 9,005,644 | 840 |
| 2 | New York | $64,598 | $39,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,301 |
| 3 | Utah | $57,405 | $37,000 | 3,101,833 | 401 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $62,269 | $39,000 | 1,059,639 | 103 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $55,065 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,561 |
| 6 | California | $67,505 | $41,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,330 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $58,017 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 335 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $52,186 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,326 |
| 9 | Nevada | $60,479 | $37,000 | 2,998,039 | 125 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $56,749 | $36,000 | 6,859,819 | 927 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $59,645 | $39,000 | 1,342,795 | 94 |
| 12 | Delaware | $55,781 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 110 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,961 | $33,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,047 |
| 14 | Washington | $55,096 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 691 |
| 15 | Indiana | $53,010 | $34,000 | 6,666,818 | 558 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $53,222 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 439 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $49,902 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 157 |
| 18 | Maine | $56,074 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 77 |
| 19 | Alabama | $54,206 | $34,000 | 4,874,747 | 276 |
| 20 | Georgia | $49,372 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,456 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $61,740 | $38,000 | 693,972 | 115 |
| 22 | Missouri | $49,360 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 714 |
| 23 | Illinois | $50,692 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,490 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $51,346 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 204 |
| 25 | Ohio | $47,917 | $30,000 | 11,658,609 | 952 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,311 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 398 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $50,846 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 123 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $58,594 | $49,000 | 1,427,538 | 63 |
| 29 | Michigan | $47,656 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 669 |
| 30 | Idaho | $48,396 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 152 |
| 31 | Maryland | $48,892 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 818 |
| 32 | Vermont | $52,167 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 41 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $43,939 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 354 |
| 34 | Arizona | $46,230 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 468 |
| 35 | Texas | $42,462 | $26,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,628 |
| 36 | Alaska | $45,502 | $38,000 | 739,795 | 65 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $46,738 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 31 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $43,377 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 349 |
| 39 | Florida | $40,960 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,096 |
| 40 | Colorado | $45,389 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 570 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $46,177 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 132 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $45,708 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 125 |
| 43 | Montana | $41,847 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 117 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $43,645 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 228 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $40,109 | $28,000 | 5,576,606 | 717 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $43,844 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 342 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $42,451 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 52 |
| 48 | Oregon | $43,333 | $28,000 | 4,142,776 | 295 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $41,027 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 412 |
| 50 | Kansas | $40,682 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 219 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $40,498 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 53 |
Highest paying states for catering & event managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Catering & Event Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $64,691 |
| 2 | New York | $64,598 |
| 3 | Utah | $57,405 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $62,269 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $55,065 |
| 6 | California | $67,505 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $58,017 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $52,186 |
| 9 | Nevada | $60,479 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $56,749 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $59,645 |
| 12 | Delaware | $55,781 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,961 |
| 14 | Washington | $55,096 |
| 15 | Indiana | $53,010 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $53,222 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $49,902 |
| 18 | Maine | $56,074 |
| 19 | Alabama | $54,206 |
| 20 | Georgia | $49,372 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $61,740 |
| 22 | Missouri | $49,360 |
| 23 | Illinois | $50,692 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $51,346 |
| 25 | Ohio | $47,917 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,311 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $50,846 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $58,594 |
| 29 | Michigan | $47,656 |
| 30 | Idaho | $48,396 |
| 31 | Maryland | $48,892 |
| 32 | Vermont | $52,167 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $43,939 |
| 34 | Arizona | $46,230 |
| 35 | Texas | $42,462 |
| 36 | Alaska | $45,502 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $46,738 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $43,377 |
| 39 | Florida | $40,960 |
| 40 | Colorado | $45,389 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $46,177 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $45,708 |
| 43 | Montana | $41,847 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $43,645 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $40,109 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $43,844 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $42,451 |
| 48 | Oregon | $43,333 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $41,027 |
| 50 | Kansas | $40,682 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $40,498 |
Expert opinions on the best states for catering & event managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for catering & event managers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jokima Hiller
Assistant Professor, Missouri State University
Look at secondary markets for opportunities. Unfortunately, many of your major markets have been hit hard resulting in closings or in closings, reopenings, and then closings again because there hasn't been enough business to sustain them. But, you will find that the next town over had hospitality businesses that scaled back but never closed thereby meeting the needs of their regulars and attracting displaced business from the larger markets. For example, Indianapolis is a major market where their downtown area was greatly impacted. However, some hotels in Fishers remained open and are now actively seeking candidates as they ramp back up.
Catering & event manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025