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The differences between food managers and restaurant 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 restaurant manager. Additionally, a restaurant manager has an average salary of $52,202, 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 restaurant manager are customer service, guest satisfaction, and food handling.
| Food Manager | Restaurant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $37,654 | $52,202 |
| Hourly rate | $18.10 | $25.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 276,643 | 225,340 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A restaurant manager is responsible for handling the overall restaurant operations. These include monitoring revenues and daily restaurant sales, checking inventories and supplies, negotiating with third-party vendors, and managing customers' inquiries and complaints. Other duties include creating promotional offers, developing and improving sales strategies, organizing staff duties, maintaining the highest sanitary standards for everyone's strict compliance, and controlling operational expenses. A restaurant manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills and exceptional knowledge of food industry management.
Food managers and restaurant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Manager | Restaurant Manager | |
| Average salary | $37,654 | $52,202 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $57,000 | Between $39,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Freehold, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Southern Healthcare | Hillstone Restaurant Group |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a food manager and a restaurant manager in terms of educational background:
| Food Manager | Restaurant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between food managers' and restaurant managers' demographics:
| Food Manager | Restaurant Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |