Director of food and nutrition services vs kitchen manager

The differences between directors of food and nutrition services 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 food and nutrition services and a kitchen manager. Additionally, a director of food and nutrition services has an average salary of $100,887, which is higher than the $50,448 average annual salary of a kitchen 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 kitchen manager are customer service, kitchen equipment, and cleanliness.

Director of food and nutrition services vs kitchen manager overview

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Kitchen Manager
Yearly salary	$100,887	$50,448
Hourly rate	$48.50	$24.25
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	142,232	151,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Associate Degree, 31%
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 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 food and nutrition services vs kitchen manager salary

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

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Kitchen Manager
Average salary	$100,887	$50,448
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $178,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Novato, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	Hillstone Restaurant Group
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

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

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

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Kitchen Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Dietetics	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Director of food and nutrition services vs kitchen manager demographics

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

	Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Kitchen Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
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, 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 food and nutrition services and kitchen 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.

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 food and nutrition services vs kitchen 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 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 Food And Nutrition Services
Director Of Food And Nutrition Services vs Kitchen Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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