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The differences between catering managers and dining room managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a catering manager and a dining room manager. Additionally, a catering manager has an average salary of $51,962, which is higher than the $49,372 average annual salary of a dining room manager.
The top three skills for a catering manager include customer service, culinary and food service. The most important skills for a dining room manager are fine dining, food service, and good judgment.
| Catering Manager | Dining Room Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $51,962 | $49,372 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $23.74 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 88,658 | 162,992 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Catering managers are responsible for managing the daily catering operations and services in hotels, restaurants, and resorts. They monitor the quality of food and service provided by their outlets as well as make sure they are presented well. Their goals include achieving high customer satisfaction, producing excellent quality food, and maintaining that sanitary protocols are strictly followed. A degree is not a standard requirement for this job; however, employers do value those who have relevant qualifications with food, home, hotel, and hospitality management.
Dining Room Managers are responsible for supervising the operations of a dining establishment or restaurant. Their duties include ensuring workers adhere to operational and service standards, implement training and recruitment processes, addressing customer concerns, achieving customer satisfaction, and overseeing a restaurant's inventory and budget. Dining Room Managers compile daily reports, greet customers, introduce menus, and ensure the dining area is healthy and clean. They also assist in the orientation of workers.
Catering managers and dining room managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Catering Manager | Dining Room Manager | |
| Average salary | $51,962 | $49,372 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $35,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a catering manager and a dining room manager in terms of educational background:
| Catering Manager | Dining Room Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between catering managers' and dining room managers' demographics:
| Catering Manager | Dining Room Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 8.4% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |