How to hire a catering & event manager

How to hire a catering & event manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step catering & event manager hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The catering & event manager 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?

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   Hiring the perfect catering & event manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents catering & event manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Catering & Event Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Catering & Event Manager	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$15-37
   Director Of Catering	A director of catering spearheads and oversees catering services and programs, from planning to execution. They usually lead the hiring and training procedures, establishing goals and timelines, managing budgets and controlling costs, setting protocols and guidelines, coordinating managers and teams, and negotiating with suppliers, building positive relationships in the process... Show more	$20-47
   Event Coordinator	An event coordinator is responsible for planning and working out on special events based on the client's specifications. Event coordinators' duties include suggesting appropriate venues, providing cost estimates and financial reports, selecting best vendors for the event's needs, and working on the client's approval for any adjustments to be made... Show more	$14-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Wine
   • Booking
   • Event Planning
   • Event Sales
   • Culinary
   • Event Management
   • Banquet Event Orders
   • Menu Planning
   • Food Service
   • Event Logistics
   • Social Events
   • Event Space
   • Audio Visual

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Own, operate, and manage an online record store, featuring underground, electronic dance music and DJ gear.
   • Manage marketing exhibit assets, giveaways and promotional items.
   • Prepare and manage BEOs to client specifications including auto-visual requirements.
   • Manage contracted teams of event contributors including DJ and develop plans for floral arrangements.
   • Manage all aspects of these events and act as onsite manager to ensure meeting are delivered effectively and professionally.
   • Work with the chef to design wine pairing menu.

   More catering & event manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your catering & event manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A catering & event manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, catering & event managers' average salary in minnesota is 41% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level catering & event managers earn 58% less than senior-level catering & event managers.
   • Certifications. A catering & event manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a catering & event manager's salary.

   Average catering & event manager salary

   $51,900yearly

   $24.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level catering & event manager salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average catering & event manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$71,806	$35
   2	New York	$64,981	$31
   3	New Jersey	$64,794	$31
   4	Maine	$57,057	$27
   5	Massachusetts	$56,460	$27
   6	Pennsylvania	$55,720	$27
   7	Virginia	$54,975	$26
   8	Wisconsin	$53,433	$26
   9	Missouri	$49,423	$24
   10	Maryland	$49,105	$24
   11	Michigan	$47,898	$23
   12	Arizona	$46,443	$22
   13	Texas	$42,777	$21
   14	Oregon	$42,562	$20
   15	Florida	$41,511	$20
   16	Minnesota	$40,104	$19

   Average catering & event manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Legend Holdings	$60,885	$29.27	54
   2	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$60,147	$28.92	14
   3	Legends Hospitality	$57,297	$27.55
   4	J.F. Shea Co	$57,034	$27.42
   5	Goodwin Recruiting	$56,655	$27.24	1
   6	ManpowerGroup	$54,918	$26.40	5
   7	Pyramid Hotel Group	$54,901	$26.39
   8	Panera Bread	$54,698	$26.30	44
   9	Marriott International	$54,069	$25.99	261
   10	Nana Management Services, LLC	$53,678	$25.81
   11	Hilton	$53,675	$25.81	90
   12	PCH Hotels & Resorts	$53,308	$25.63	21
   13	NANA	$53,294	$25.62	1
   14	Omakase	$53,249	$25.60
   15	REEF Technology	$53,249	$25.60
   16	Smokin Joes	$53,006	$25.48
   17	Remote	$52,985	$25.47
   18	Seasoned	$52,866	$25.42
   19	The News-Review	$52,418	$25.20
   20	Concord Hospitality	$52,370	$25.18	16

4. Writing a catering & event manager job description

   A catering & event manager 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a catering & event manager job description:

   Catering & event manager job description example

   Tufts University does not post pay information at this time. Our Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to share pay details upon request.
   
   Tufts Dining is a self-operated food service provider managing a comprehensive collegiate food service program on the Tufts University Medford/Somerville and Boston/Fenway (SMFA) campuses delivering high quality, contemporary, and innovative food and hospitality services to meet the various needs of students, faculty, staff, administrators and visitors in a fiscally responsible manner. Our team operates a progressive resident dining program for approximately 4000 students as well as progressive retail services and a distinctive university catering program serving the campus community totaling 5200 undergraduates, 1700 graduate students, and 2300 faculty, staff, and administrators.
   What You'll Do
   
   The Tufts Catering Event Manager position exists to execute all catering services performed by Tufts Catering. Duties include but are not limited to managing catered events in person, staff management and delivering exceptional customer catering service. This integral management for Tufts Catering will train staff to industry standards, fully understand the hospitality industry at the highest level and will strive to make our unit the preferred Catering Partner to the University Community.
   
   What We're Looking For
   
   Basic Requirements: Knowledge and experience typically acquired through the completion of a High School/Equivalent/Associated Degree Associate Degree or above preferably in Hospitality, Management or Business Experience in planning and executing events for a high-volume off-site caterer for a university, hotel or banquet facility with multiple venues. 2+ years of scheduling and supervising full-service catering staff. Fine dining and modern catering concept experience such as interactive food stations, themed receptions and VIP events. Experience with responsible alcohol service and knowledge of bar, wine and cocktail service. Has experience managing multiple events at one time. Culinary experience in high-end catering service or restaurants. Preferred Qualifications: Associate Degree or above preferably in Hospitality, Management or Business. Special Work Schedule Requirements:
   Must be able to work occasional weekends and nights and travel between campuses.
   
   An employee in this position must complete all appropriate background checks at the time of hire, promotion, or transfer.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer minority/females/veterans/disability/sexual orientation/gender identity.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find catering & event managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting catering & event managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 catering & event manager

   Once you've selected the best catering & event manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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 catering & event manager. 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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