Director of catering vs food service manager

The differences between directors of catering and food service 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 director of catering and a food service manager. Additionally, a director of catering has an average salary of $65,732, which is higher than the $43,564 average annual salary of a food service manager.

The top three skills for a director of catering include booking, customer service and culinary. The most important skills for a food service manager are customer service, sanitation standards, and cleanliness.

Director of catering vs food service manager overview

	Director Of Catering	Food Service Manager
Yearly salary	$65,732	$43,564
Hourly rate	$31.60	$20.94
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	54,263	160,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

What does a director of catering do?

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. They may also participate in developing marketing plans, meeting with clients to identify their needs and preferences, monitoring inventories, solving issues and concerns, and supervising catering services to ensure operations run smoothly and efficiently.

What does a food service manager do?

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. A food service manager must also greet customers, escort them to their tables, handle any issues and concerns, manage the employees, train new hires, manage the payroll and budget, and coordinate with all restaurant personnel. Furthermore, a food service manager must delegate tasks among employees and assign their schedules accordingly.

Director of catering vs food service manager salary

Directors of catering and food service managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Catering	Food Service Manager
Average salary	$65,732	$43,564
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $98,000	Between $28,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	J.F. Shea Co	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between director of catering and food service manager education

There are a few differences between a director of catering and a food service manager in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Catering	Food Service Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Director of catering vs food service manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of catering' and food service managers' demographics:

	Director Of Catering	Food Service Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%	Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.4% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between director of catering and food service manager duties and responsibilities

Director of catering example responsibilities.

Manage and execute every aspect of the planning process, creating BEOs and managing banquet staff.
Prepare and manage BEOs to client specifications including auto-visual requirements.
Revamp BEO writing process with training.
Direct the catering, conference service and banquet departments for two five star, five diamond resorts and two country clubs.
Monitor daily activities to ensure quality food and cleanliness standards.
Foster a positive work/customer atmosphere by ensuring facility cleanliness and compliance with health department regulations.

Food service manager example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of the human resources task, including hiring, training, payroll, and the negotiated contract.
Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
Train food & nutrition team in SERVSAFE, HACCP, knife skills and environmental safety.
Maintain all Intel, Aramark and ServSafe safety, sanitation and security guidelines.
Review and complete adequate weekly sales projections, with mastery of using POS system

Director of catering vs food service manager skills

Common director of catering skills

Booking, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Culinary, 10%
Event Planning, 8%
Food Preparation, 6%
Menu Planning, 5%

Common food service manager skills

Customer Service, 27%
Sanitation Standards, 10%
Cleanliness, 7%
Patients, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 5%
Food Handling, 4%

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Director Of Catering
Director Of Catering vs Food Service Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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