Food safety director vs dietary manager

The differences between food safety directors and dietary 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 dietary manager. Additionally, a food safety director has an average salary of $69,299, which is higher than the $42,856 average annual salary of a dietary manager.

The top three skills for a food safety director include food service, FDA and HACCP. The most important skills for a dietary manager are kitchen equipment, patients, and dietary services.

Food safety director vs dietary manager overview

	Food Safety Director	Dietary Manager
Yearly salary	$69,299	$42,856
Hourly rate	$33.32	$20.60
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	141,051	95,306
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
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 dietary manager do?

A dietary manager oversees the food service operations of a company or institution's kitchen facilities, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. They are primarily in charge of developing dietary programs and meal plans, coordinating with nutritionists, setting daily objectives, establishing food preparation standards and protocols, managing budgets and employee schedules, and monitoring overall operations, solving issues and concerns if any arise. They also supervise the recruitment and training of staff, monitor inventories, purchase supplies, and interact with customers. Moreover, a dietary manager leads employees to reach goals and implements industry standards and company policies.

Food safety director vs dietary manager salary

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

	Food Safety Director	Dietary Manager
Average salary	$69,299	$42,856
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $137,000	Between $30,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Concord, NH	-
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	-
Best paying company	CyberCoders	-
Best paying industry	Media	-

Differences between food safety director and dietary manager education

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

	Food Safety Director	Dietary Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food safety director vs dietary manager demographics

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

	Food Safety Director	Dietary Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%
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, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between food safety director and dietary 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.

Dietary manager example responsibilities.

Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
Review records and assess the nutritional condition of at risk residents, including unplan weight changes, charting and MDS reporting.
Analyze diet requirement of patients and prepare nutritional balance menus accordingly.
Refer patients to appropriate outpatient settings for additional diet education and support.
Communicate effectively in medical charts, and complete MDS assessments for Medicare reimbursement with proficiency.
Increase student participation by overseeing and implementing marketing brands in school cafeterias.

Food safety director vs dietary manager skills

Common food safety director skills

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

Common dietary manager skills

Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Patients, 9%
Dietary Services, 6%
Infection Control, 5%
Food Preparation, 5%
Federal Regulations, 5%

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Food Safety Director
Food Safety Director vs Dietary Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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