Food safety director vs kitchen manager

The differences between food safety directors and kitchen 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 kitchen manager. Additionally, a food safety director has an average salary of $69,299, which is higher than the $50,448 average annual salary of a kitchen manager.

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

Food safety director vs kitchen manager overview

	Food Safety Director	Kitchen Manager
Yearly salary	$69,299	$50,448
Hourly rate	$33.32	$24.25
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	141,051	151,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Associate Degree, 31%
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 kitchen manager do?

A kitchen manager is responsible for supervising overall kitchen operations duties, checking food storage, and distributing appropriate kitchen staff tasks. Kitchen managers' jobs also include monitoring food preparation, ensuring that all orders and serving portions are correct, organizing menu prices, researching current market trends of the food industry, and maintaining the highest sanitation procedures. Kitchen managers should also assist guests with their inquiries, manage concerns, and handle complaints. They should have excellent communication and leadership skills to lead the kitchen staff in providing the best customer experience.

Food safety director vs kitchen manager salary

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

	Food Safety Director	Kitchen Manager
Average salary	$69,299	$50,448
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $137,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Concord, NH	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Rhode Island
Best paying company	CyberCoders	Hillstone Restaurant Group
Best paying industry	Media	Hospitality

Differences between food safety director and kitchen manager education

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

	Food Safety Director	Kitchen Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food safety director vs kitchen manager demographics

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

	Food Safety Director	Kitchen Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%	Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between food safety director and kitchen 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.

Kitchen manager example responsibilities.

Manage the daily operations of the kitchen, providing professional leadership and direction to all personnel.
Supervise cooks and manage the preparation, portioning, garnishing, and storage of all food items.
Manage kitchen staff and cook, develop new recipes, inventory and ordering, and fill in for bartending.
Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.
Prepare bills for orders, manage cash register, help with accounting using adding machine, POS software and programs.
Manage the daily operation of food production for patients, guests and employees as well as all internal and external catering.

Food safety director vs kitchen manager skills

Common food safety director skills

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

Common kitchen manager skills

Customer Service, 15%
Kitchen Equipment, 13%
Cleanliness, 9%
Food Handling, 9%
Fifo, 8%
Food Waste, 6%

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Food Safety Director
Food Safety Director vs Kitchen Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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