Director of food and nutrition services vs food service manager

The differences between directors of food and nutrition services 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 food and nutrition services and a food service manager. Additionally, a director of food and nutrition services has an average salary of $100,887, which is higher than the $43,564 average annual salary of a food service manager.

The top three skills for a director of food and nutrition services include healthcare, patients and infection control. The most important skills for a food service manager are customer service, sanitation standards, and cleanliness.

Director of food and nutrition services vs food service manager overview

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Food Service Manager
Yearly salary	$100,887	$43,564
Hourly rate	$48.50	$20.94
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	142,232	160,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

What does a director of food and nutrition services do?

A Director Of Food And Nutrition Services plans and coordinates the district food service program to guarantee proper nutrition and safeguard the health of students, staff, and visitors. They provide nutrition programs that meet all federal requirements.

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 food and nutrition services vs food service manager salary

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

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Food Service Manager
Average salary	$100,887	$43,564
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $178,000	Between $28,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Novato, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between director of food and nutrition services and food service manager education

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

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Food Service Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Dietetics	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Director of food and nutrition services vs food service manager demographics

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

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Food Service Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%	Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 food and nutrition services and food service manager duties and responsibilities

Director of food and nutrition services example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor daily operational duties of full service dining room for patients including creating and maintaining department budget.
Implement HACCP guidelines for all locations, ensuring the safety and quality of food deliver to on-site and community-base satellite operations.
Maintain patient confidentiality under HIPAA.
Utilize WebDenis to verify Medicaid insurance.
Follow confidentiality laws and HIPAA privacy policies.
Streamline billing of claims to infusion contractors and implement NJ Medicaid electronic billing.

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 food and nutrition services vs food service manager skills

Common director of food and nutrition services skills

Healthcare, 17%
Patients, 16%
Infection Control, 8%
Nutrition Services, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Culinary, 4%

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 Food And Nutrition Services
Director Of Food And Nutrition Services vs Food Service Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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