How to hire a dairy manager

How to hire a dairy manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step dairy 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 dairy manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dairy manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a dairy manager do?

Post a dairy manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the dairy manager you need to hire. Certain dairy manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect dairy 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of dairy managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Dairy Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Dairy 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.	$12-19
   Food And Beverage Manager	A food and beverage manager is a professional responsible for ensuring that quality food and drinks are being served at a restaurant or hotel. Food and beverage managers are required to be excellent with customers and should have great management skills to meet the organization's labor and financial goals... Show more	$18-34
   Food Service Manager	A food service manager's role is to oversee and supervise all operations in a restaurant or a similar setting. They are primarily responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction through optimal foodservice, an efficient workforce, and a safe and healthy environment... Show more	$13-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Safety
   • Customer Service
   • Pallet Jack
   • Cleanliness
   • Sales Floor
   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Complaints
   • Good Communication
   • Basic Math
   • Pallets
   • Math
   • Dairy
   • Stock Product
   • Inventory Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage departments including: frozen, dairy, grocery, bulk, beer and wine.
   • Manage budgets and payroll records, review financial transactions to assure expenditures are authorize and budget.
   • Order the beer and wine for the store.
   • Order and stock the produce and dairy departments while bagging and carrying out groceries.
   • Stock products and maintain department cleanliness.
   • Ensure cleanliness and sanitation of entire department daily.

   More dairy manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your dairy manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A dairy manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a dairy manager in South Dakota may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level dairy manager usually earns less than a senior-level dairy manager. Additionally, a dairy manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average dairy manager salary

   $15.59hourly

   $32,417 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level dairy manager salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average dairy manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$39,002	$19
   2	New Jersey	$37,911	$18
   3	California	$37,275	$18
   4	District of Columbia	$35,678	$17
   5	Massachusetts	$34,418	$17
   6	Nevada	$34,279	$16
   7	Oregon	$32,775	$16
   8	Utah	$32,018	$15
   9	Wyoming	$31,374	$15
   10	Arizona	$31,047	$15
   11	Colorado	$30,608	$15
   12	Georgia	$30,525	$15
   13	North Dakota	$30,382	$15
   14	New Mexico	$29,556	$14
   15	Missouri	$29,476	$14
   16	Texas	$28,906	$14
   17	Oklahoma	$28,545	$14
   18	South Carolina	$26,944	$13
   19	Kansas	$25,774	$12

   Average dairy manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PCC Community Markets	$41,169	$19.79
   2	Dierbergs Markets	$40,050	$19.25	1
   3	Aurora Organic Dairy	$38,956	$18.73
   4	Food City	$37,806	$18.18	3
   5	ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.	$36,916	$17.75
   6	Festival Foods	$36,605	$17.60
   7	Bristol Farms	$36,279	$17.44	3
   8	Cosentino	$35,540	$17.09	7
   9	Sysco	$34,871	$16.76	1
   10	Natural Grocers	$34,705	$16.69	14
   11	Kroger	$34,573	$16.62	97
   12	Meadowbrook Country Club	$33,856	$16.28	6
   13	Albertsons	$33,826	$16.26	58
   14	Jetro Cash & Carry Enterprises Inc.	$33,812	$16.26	8
   15	Balls Food Stores	$33,225	$15.97	4
   16	HARMON's Photo	$33,212	$15.97
   17	Opus Corporation	$33,204	$15.96
   18	Village Super Market Inc.	$33,021	$15.88
   19	Kwik Stop	$33,001	$15.87
   20	Harris Teeter	$32,571	$15.66	29

4. Writing a dairy manager job description

   A good dairy manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a dairy manager job description:

   Dairy manager job description example

   Assemble, and present completed treat orders, including stocking, cleaning and maintaining all customer areas in a clean, safe, pleasant manner and to all restaurant safety and health code standards. Essential job functions include, but are not limited to:
   
   Communicate clearly, quickly and politely with co-workers to ensure correct order is served to the customers.
   
   Prepare treat products following restaurant, health and safety standards and procedures quickly and accurately.
   Be pleasant and alert to customer needs. Properly and safely operate and maintain restaurant equipment including related chill equipment while following all health and safety standards. Work as a “team” member to assure constant and consistent quality, service, cleanliness and value to each customer. Clean work area, organize and stock needed items. Move various treat, paper and cleaning items from other sections of building (or outside building) to immediate work area. Stocks and executes proper rotation of products. Completes assigned prep work for stocking and set up of chill area. Controls food production process. Breaks down and cleans chill area thoroughly at the end of every day as assigned by a manager or shift leader. Wash counters, tables, restrooms, trash receptacles, gather trash and remove from dining/service areas to proper receptacle, sweep, mop, stock and other cleaning tasks. Occasional need to be out of building (i.e., parking lot, freezer, trash container areas, etc.) for parking lot pick-up, trash removal and other maintenance and cleaning activities. Informs immediate supervisor promptly of all problems or unusual matters of significance. Performs other duties and responsibilities as requested by management staff or shift leaders.
   Additional Responsibilities:
   
   Operates chill area in accordance with established PRIDE standards, policies and procedures. Responsible for quick, accurate and safe treat production process. Assists in the success of the restaurant by ensuring guest satisfaction through adhering to company standards for quality, value, service and cleanliness. Maintains a positive working relationship with all restaurant employees to foster and promote a cooperative and pleasant working climate. Communicates all significant issues, both positive and negative, with management staff.
   Requirements
   
   Must be able to move cases of food/paper products, buckets of sanitizing liquid or cleaner, containers of up to 50 pounds up to 10 times per six-hour shift. Must be able to perform under pressure in a high volume restaurant including moving and responding quickly for long periods of time. Must be able to travel quickly in customer service area as much as three times for each customer up to as many as 40 customers per hour of shift. Must be able to work in and out of different temperature ranges. Must be able to stand for long periods of time. Must be able to read order monitors, and recall and communicate products and contents. Must practice established food handling procedures and meet any local health regulations. Must exhibit and use good manners, proper personal hygiene, positive attitude, and promptness.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find dairy 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 dairy manager job on Zippia to find and recruit dairy manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit dairy managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 dairy manager

   Once you've selected the best dairy 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a dairy manager?