Food safety director vs catering manager

The differences between food safety directors and catering 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 safety director and a catering manager. Additionally, a food safety director has an average salary of $69,299, which is higher than the $51,962 average annual salary of a catering manager.

The top three skills for a food safety director include food service, FDA and HACCP. The most important skills for a catering manager are customer service, culinary, and food service.

Food safety director vs catering manager overview

	Food Safety Director	Catering Manager
Yearly salary	$69,299	$51,962
Hourly rate	$33.32	$24.98
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	141,051	88,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

What does a food safety director do?

Food safety directors implement regulations and standards in various facilities. As a food safety director, you are responsible for training other inspectors who help inspect the facility and make detailed reports from which you determine how best to maintain safety standards. You will maintain documentation of day-to-day activities, making sure products meet the outlined criteria, educate suppliers, conduct regular safety audits, and promote smooth workflow.

What does a catering manager do?

Catering managers are responsible for managing the daily catering operations and services in hotels, restaurants, and resorts. They monitor the quality of food and service provided by their outlets as well as make sure they are presented well. Their goals include achieving high customer satisfaction, producing excellent quality food, and maintaining that sanitary protocols are strictly followed. A degree is not a standard requirement for this job; however, employers do value those who have relevant qualifications with food, home, hotel, and hospitality management.

Food safety director vs catering manager salary

Food safety directors and catering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Safety Director	Catering Manager
Average salary	$69,299	$51,962
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $137,000	Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Concord, NH	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Nevada
Best paying company	CyberCoders	Brigham and Women's Hospital
Best paying industry	Media	Hospitality

Differences between food safety director and catering manager education

There are a few differences between a food safety director and a catering manager in terms of educational background:

	Food Safety Director	Catering Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food safety director vs catering manager demographics

Here are the differences between food safety directors' and catering managers' demographics:

	Food Safety Director	Catering Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%	Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 8.4% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between food safety director and catering manager duties and responsibilities

Food safety director example responsibilities.

Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
Prepare HACCP analysis report and provide reports for the areas not meeting the quality standards.
Supervise culinary selection, catering, event planning, and baking/cooking functions and oversee menu development.
Assist with the development and execution of HACCP plans specific to projects and special events.
Ensure collaboration between interdisciplinary teams including the clinical, culinary, and patient food service management staff to improve department efficiency.
Assist in directing total food service operation in accordance with USDA policies and procedures.

Catering manager example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage BEOs to client specifications including auto-visual requirements.
Assist patients by test tasting food for allergies and accuracy.
Design and consult members on d cor, menu and wine selection for private events.
Ensure that those with food allergies or restrict diets have appropriate safe dishes to consume at meal times.
Work closely with culinary, stewarding and banquet department on specialty menus and customize events.
Full responsibility for all operations of several bars during service time including reporting and finance management.

Food safety director vs catering manager skills

Common food safety director skills

Food Service, 10%
FDA, 7%
HACCP, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Culinary, 6%
Fsma, 5%

Common catering manager skills

Customer Service, 25%
Culinary, 10%
Food Service, 10%
Excellent Client, 6%
Booking, 4%
Customer Satisfaction, 4%

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Food Safety Director vs Catering Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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