Director of catering vs kitchen manager

The differences between directors of catering 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 director of catering and a kitchen manager. Additionally, a director of catering has an average salary of $65,732, which is higher than the $50,448 average annual salary of a kitchen manager.

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

Director of catering vs kitchen manager overview

	Director Of Catering	Kitchen Manager
Yearly salary	$65,732	$50,448
Hourly rate	$31.60	$24.25
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	54,263	151,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 31%
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 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.

Director of catering vs kitchen manager salary

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

	Director Of Catering	Kitchen Manager
Average salary	$65,732	$50,448
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $98,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	J.F. Shea Co	Hillstone Restaurant Group
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between director of catering and kitchen manager education

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

	Director Of Catering	Kitchen Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Director of catering vs kitchen manager demographics

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

	Director Of Catering	Kitchen Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
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, 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 director of catering and kitchen 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.

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.

Director of catering vs kitchen manager skills

Common director of catering skills

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

Common kitchen manager skills

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

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Director Of Catering
Director Of Catering vs Kitchen Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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