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The differences between food managers and managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a food manager, becoming a manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a manager has an average salary of $58,651, 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 manager are customer service, payroll, and food safety.
| Food Manager | Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $37,654 | $58,651 |
| Hourly rate | $18.10 | $28.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 276,643 | 1,236,194 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.57 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.
Food managers and managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Manager | Manager | |
| Average salary | $37,654 | $58,651 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $57,000 | Between $37,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Freehold, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Southern Healthcare | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a food manager and a manager in terms of educational background:
| Food Manager | Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between food managers' and managers' demographics:
| Food Manager | Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |