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Job outlook for food managers in the United States
Food manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected food manager job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 32,300 new jobs for food managers are projected over the next decade.
Food manager salaries have increased 11% for food managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 7,321 food managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 276,643 active food manager job openings in the US.
The average food manager salary is $37,654.
Are food manager jobs in demand?
Food manager job and salary trends over time
Food manager jobs over time
Food manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,321 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,846 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,183 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,616 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,232 | 0.00% |
Average food manager salary over time
Food manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,654 | $18.10 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $36,809 | $17.70 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $36,090 | $17.35 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $34,620 | $16.64 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $33,815 | $16.26 | +4.4% |
Food manager jobs by state
Most common states for food managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,817 | 41% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 236 | 41% |
| 3 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 4,011 | 39% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 373 | 39% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,237 | 38% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 284 | 38% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 267 | 38% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,220 | 37% |
| 9 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,424 | 36% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 2,170 | 35% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,782 | 35% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,085 | 35% |
| 13 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 3,496 | 34% |
| 14 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 1,003 | 34% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 254 | 34% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,418 | 33% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,835 | 33% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 4,056 | 32% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 331 | 32% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 420 | 31% |
Most common cities for food managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 6 | 15% | $44,417 |
| 2 | Everett | 6 | 13% | $44,408 |
| 3 | Revere | 6 | 11% | $44,388 |
| 4 | Lynn | 6 | 6% | $44,324 |
| 5 | Ceres | 2 | 4% | $43,915 |
| 6 | Bowling Green | 2 | 3% | $32,591 |
| 7 | Clovis | 2 | 2% | $43,243 |
| 8 | Boston | 10 | 1% | $44,484 |
| 9 | Bakersfield | 2 | 1% | $42,472 |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $41,609 |
Food Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of food manager experts
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Faulkner University
Centenary College of Louisiana
Bucknell University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
What Food Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jaunelle Celaire: Never stop learning! This may consist of going back to school, earning new certifications in your field of study, attending conferences and seminars, and making sure that your time management is always at its finest level of excellence.
Steve Wages Ph.D.
Director, Cloverdale Center for Youth and FamilyFaulkner University
Cloverdale Center for Youth & Family
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Food Manager job market given the pandemic?
Steve Wages Ph.D.: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the pre-pandemic projections for employment of mental health counselors, including pastoral counselors, for 2019-2020 were very strong with growth being much faster than the average for all occupations. A recent report by the Barna Research Group compared pre-pandemic levels of relational, mental, and emotional health to the results of surveys of relational health, stress, and anxiety associated with the coronavirus, political, and racial tensions.
As expected, relational, emotional, and mental health struggles have been greatly amplified which will only serve to increase the need or demand for the services provided by pastoral counselors. However, it has also been reported that urban churches are experiencing a 15-25% decline in giving with rural churches reporting even greater declines. Consequently, budgets are being streamlined for sustainability which will likely have a negative impact on the hiring of pastoral counselors, at least full-time, in this employment sector. Because the need for pastoral counseling is so great, graduates should think strategically about how they market their services.
For example, my church community cannot afford a full-time pastoral counselor, but is looking to contract with a group in private practice who are serving the needs of multiple congregations. Graduates may need to look at joining such a group of pastoral counselors who provide counseling services on a contract basis. Further, I believe the economic stimulus may create additional jobs in other employment sectors for pastoral counselors.
Dr. Barbara Davis
William J. Atkins DeanCentenary College of Louisiana
Frost School of Business
What experience really stands out on Food Manager resumes?
Dr. Barbara Davis: Graduates participating in internships related to their areas of interest. Internships spanning more than one semester at the same firm stand out as well.
Eddy Ng Ph.D.
James and Elizabeth Freeman Professor of ManagementBucknell University
Freeman College of Management
What skills stand out on Food Manager resumes?
Eddy Ng Ph.D.: Some of the remote economy skills that will be required include:
- self-directed/motivated
- data literacy (analytics)
- digital creativity and design
- IT and cybersecurity, including coding
- distributed leadership
- remote communication and management
STEM will become even more critical
What skills stand out on Food Manager resumes?
Dr. Timothy Edwards: Writing and research skills. Analytical and critical thinking skills. Technical skills such as web design, graphic design, audio and video production skills. Employers are interested in potential employees knowledge, intelligence and skills.