Food manager vs kitchen manager

The differences between food managers 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 food manager and a kitchen manager. Additionally, a kitchen manager has an average salary of $50,448, which is higher than the $37,654 average annual salary of a food manager.

The top three skills for a food manager include food handling, cleanliness and cash control. The most important skills for a kitchen manager are customer service, kitchen equipment, and cleanliness.

Food manager vs kitchen manager overview

	Food Manager	Kitchen Manager
Yearly salary	$37,654	$50,448
Hourly rate	$18.10	$24.25
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	276,643	151,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

What does a food manager do?

A food manager oversees the operations at various dining establishments, ensuring efficient food services and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities typically include managing the staff, setting schedules and guidelines, establishing objectives and budgets, liaising with vendors and suppliers, delegating tasks, and developing strategies to optimize overall operations. There are also instances where they may assist customers, arrange reservations, process payments, prepare and organize documents, hire and train new members of the workforce, and resolve issues and concerns. Moreover, as a food manager, they must lead and encourage the staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Food manager vs kitchen manager salary

Food managers and kitchen managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Manager	Kitchen Manager
Average salary	$37,654	$50,448
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $57,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Freehold, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Southern Healthcare	Hillstone Restaurant Group
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Hospitality

Differences between food manager and kitchen manager education

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

	Food Manager	Kitchen Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food manager vs kitchen manager demographics

Here are the differences between food managers' and kitchen managers' demographics:

	Food Manager	Kitchen Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.4% 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 food manager and kitchen manager duties and responsibilities

Food manager example responsibilities.

Lead quarterly training sessions on fire safety mandate by OSHA.
Manage all food regulatory documentation ensuring accuracy and compliancy with FDA, CFIA and EFSA agencies.
Prepare, analyze reports, staff training and development, prioritization, delegation and manage all aspects of the USDA program.
Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
Prepare and distribute payroll information for management and staff.
Conduct math skills during transactions.

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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.

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Food manager vs kitchen manager skills

Common food manager skills

Food Handling, 13%
Cleanliness, 11%
Cash Control, 10%
Customer Satisfaction, 8%
Non, 6%
Math, 6%

Common kitchen manager skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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