Catering sales manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a catering sales manager. Catering sales managers usually study business, hospitality management, or health care administration. 71% of catering sales managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,635 real catering sales manager resumes to see exactly what catering sales manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for catering sales managers are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.

There are also many online catering sales manager courses to help get the education required to be a catering sales manager.

There are certain catering sales manager certifications that you should consider. These catering sales manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP).

What education do you need to become a catering sales manager?

What degree do you need to be a catering sales manager?

The most common degree for catering sales managers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of catering sales managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Associate, 17%

Master's, 4%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a catering sales manager?

You should major in business to become a catering sales manager. 22% of catering sales managers major in business. Other common majors for a catering sales manager include hospitality management and health care administration.

Business, 22%

Hospitality Management, 21%

Health Care Administration, 9%

Communication, 8%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for catering sales managers

Catering sales managers often get their degrees at Johnson & Wales University, University of Phoenix, and University of Central Florida. Here are the most common colleges for catering sales managers in the US based on their resumes.

Catering sales manager common college	Percentages
Johnson & Wales University	19.48%
University of Phoenix	8.35%
University of Central Florida	6.71%
Florida International University	5.73%
Arizona State University	5.07%

Show more common catering sales manager colleges

Best majors for catering sales managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.8%
2	Hospitality Management	20.5%
3	Health Care Administration	9.3%
4	Communication	8.2%
5	Marketing	6.7%

Show more common catering sales manager majors

Best colleges for catering sales managers

The best colleges for catering sales managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A catering sales manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for catering sales managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become catering sales managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

3. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

20 best online courses for catering sales managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for catering sales managers

The most affordable schools for catering sales managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of south florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for catering sales managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for catering sales managers.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for catering sales managers

The hardest universities for catering sales managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for catering sales managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for catering sales managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for catering sales managers

The easiest schools for catering sales managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a catering sales manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for catering sales managers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average catering sales manager salary by education level

Catering sales managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $60,923 annually. With a Doctorate degree, catering sales managers earn a median annual income of $59,014 compared to $56,873 for catering sales managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Catering sales manager education level	Catering sales manager salary
Master's Degree	$60,923
High School Diploma or Less	$48,907
Bachelor's Degree	$56,873
Doctorate Degree	$59,014
Some College/ Associate Degree	$48,886

Catering sales manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Catering Sales Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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