Catering manager vs kitchen manager

The differences between catering managers and kitchen 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 kitchen manager. Additionally, a catering manager has an average salary of $51,962, which is higher than the $50,448 average annual salary of a kitchen manager.

The top three skills for a catering manager include customer service, culinary and food service. The most important skills for a kitchen manager are customer service, kitchen equipment, and cleanliness.

Catering manager vs kitchen manager overview

	Catering Manager	Kitchen Manager
Yearly salary	$51,962	$50,448
Hourly rate	$24.98	$24.25
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	88,658	151,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

What does a catering manager do?

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.

What does a kitchen manager do?

A kitchen manager is responsible for supervising overall kitchen operations duties, checking food storage, and distributing appropriate kitchen staff tasks. Kitchen managers' jobs also include monitoring food preparation, ensuring that all orders and serving portions are correct, organizing menu prices, researching current market trends of the food industry, and maintaining the highest sanitation procedures. Kitchen managers should also assist guests with their inquiries, manage concerns, and handle complaints. They should have excellent communication and leadership skills to lead the kitchen staff in providing the best customer experience.

Catering manager vs kitchen manager salary

Catering managers and kitchen managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Catering Manager	Kitchen Manager
Average salary	$51,962	$50,448
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $71,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Brigham and Women's Hospital	Hillstone Restaurant Group
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between catering manager and kitchen manager education

There are a few differences between a catering manager and a kitchen manager in terms of educational background:

	Catering Manager	Kitchen Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Catering manager vs kitchen manager demographics

Here are the differences between catering managers' and kitchen managers' demographics:

	Catering Manager	Kitchen Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between catering manager and kitchen manager duties and responsibilities

Catering manager example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage BEOs to client specifications including auto-visual requirements.
Assist patients by test tasting food for allergies and accuracy.
Design and consult members on d cor, menu and wine selection for private events.
Ensure that those with food allergies or restrict diets have appropriate safe dishes to consume at meal times.
Work closely with culinary, stewarding and banquet department on specialty menus and customize events.
Full responsibility for all operations of several bars during service time including reporting and finance management.

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Kitchen manager example responsibilities.

Manage the daily operations of the kitchen, providing professional leadership and direction to all personnel.
Supervise cooks and manage the preparation, portioning, garnishing, and storage of all food items.
Manage kitchen staff and cook, develop new recipes, inventory and ordering, and fill in for bartending.
Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.
Prepare bills for orders, manage cash register, help with accounting using adding machine, POS software and programs.
Manage the daily operation of food production for patients, guests and employees as well as all internal and external catering.

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Catering manager vs kitchen manager skills

Common catering manager skills

Customer Service, 25%
Culinary, 10%
Food Service, 10%
Excellent Client, 6%
Booking, 4%
Customer Satisfaction, 4%

Common kitchen manager skills

Customer Service, 15%
Kitchen Equipment, 13%
Cleanliness, 9%
Food Handling, 9%
Fifo, 8%
Food Waste, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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