Best cities for a food service director
The best cities for food service directors are Anchorage, AK, Las Vegas, NV, and Tucson, AZ, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for food service directors vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for food service directors in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a food service director or considering a move, this list of the best cities for food service directors to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for food service directors. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a food service director. While the absolute best city for food service directors is Anchorage, AK, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for food service directors in 2024.
If you're looking for a food service director job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for food service directors in 2026
1. Anchorage, AK
Total food service director jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $67,159 Lowest 10 percent warn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location quotient: 0.85 2. Las Vegas, NV
Total food service director jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $64,316 Lowest 10 percent warn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location quotient: 0.45 3. Tucson, AZ
Total food service director jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $58,498 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location quotient: 1.52 4. Seattle, WA
Total food service director jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $67,733 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location quotient: 0.53 5. Toledo, OH
Total food service director jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $52,879 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location quotient: 0.96 6. Portland, OR
Total food service director jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $63,746 Lowest 10 percent warn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location quotient: 0.76 7. Fort Wayne, IN
Total food service director jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $52,469 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location quotient: 1.47 8. Raleigh, NC
Total food service director jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $55,196 Lowest 10 percent warn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location quotient: 0.66 9. Boston, MA
Total food service director jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $68,198 Lowest 10 percent warn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location quotient: 0.33 10. Pittsburgh, PA
Total food service director jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $59,049 Lowest 10 percent warn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location quotient: 0.28
Choose from 10+ customizable food service director resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use food service director resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your food service director resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for food service directors
- Anchorage, AK
- Las Vegas, NV
- Tucson, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Toledo, OH
- Portland, OR
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Raleigh, NC
- Boston, MA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- (2 food service director jobs)
- (5 food service director jobs)
- (8 food service director jobs)
- (21 food service director jobs)
- (2 food service director jobs)
- (12 food service director jobs)
- (4 food service director jobs)
- (8 food service director jobs)
- (11 food service director jobs)
- (4 food service director jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a food service director
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage, AK | $67,159 | $44,000 | 298,192 | 2 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $64,316 | $38,000 | 632,912 | 5 |
| 3 | Tucson, AZ | $58,498 | $36,000 | 530,706 | 8 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $67,733 | $42,000 | 704,352 | 21 |
| 5 | Toledo, OH | $52,879 | $34,000 | 278,508 | 2 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $63,746 | $39,000 | 639,863 | 12 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne, IN | $52,469 | $34,000 | 264,488 | 4 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | $55,196 | $35,000 | 458,880 | 8 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $68,198 | $43,000 | 673,184 | 11 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | $59,049 | $37,000 | 303,625 | 4 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $64,669 | $40,000 | 1,567,872 | 4 |
| 12 | Oakland, CA | $76,339 | $45,000 | 420,005 | 1 |
| 13 | Long Beach, CA | $70,429 | $42,000 | 470,130 | 1 |
| 14 | North Las Vegas, NV | $64,139 | $38,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 15 | Henderson, NV | $63,983 | $38,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 16 | San Francisco, CA | $76,493 | $45,000 | 870,887 | 7 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $54,853 | $35,000 | 385,809 | 2 |
| 18 | Reno, NV | $66,575 | $39,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $51,827 | $33,000 | 860,090 | 9 |
| 20 | Los Angeles, CA | $71,075 | $42,000 | 3,976,322 | 12 |
| 21 | El Paso, TX | $48,648 | $30,000 | 683,080 | 2 |
| 22 | Nashville, TN | $47,103 | $31,000 | 660,388 | 8 |
| 23 | San Jose, CA | $76,249 | $45,000 | 1,025,350 | 1 |
| 24 | Saint Louis, MO | $47,792 | $32,000 | 311,404 | 15 |
| 25 | Memphis, TN | $46,842 | $31,000 | 652,717 | 6 |
| 26 | Madison, WI | $44,465 | $29,000 | 252,551 | 11 |
| 27 | Indianapolis, IN | $50,449 | $33,000 | 855,164 | 10 |
| 28 | Fremont, CA | $76,241 | $45,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 29 | Stockton, CA | $75,547 | $44,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 30 | Phoenix, AZ | $60,625 | $37,000 | 1,615,017 | 1 |
| 31 | Sacramento, CA | $75,287 | $44,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 32 | Washington, DC | $61,457 | $38,000 | 681,170 | 15 |
| 33 | Glendale, AZ | $60,677 | $37,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 34 | Fresno, CA | $74,887 | $44,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 35 | New York, NY | $61,751 | $38,000 | 8,537,673 | 58 |
| 36 | Albuquerque, NM | $54,826 | $34,000 | 559,277 | 2 |
| 37 | Scottsdale, AZ | $60,532 | $37,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 38 | Tulsa, OK | $49,874 | $33,000 | 403,090 | 2 |
| 39 | Norfolk, VA | $51,045 | $31,000 | 245,115 | 5 |
| 40 | Bakersfield, CA | $73,755 | $43,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 41 | Chandler, AZ | $60,170 | $37,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 42 | Greensboro, NC | $54,264 | $35,000 | 287,027 | 1 |
| 43 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $47,709 | $30,000 | 260,999 | 3 |
| 44 | Mesa, AZ | $60,153 | $37,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 45 | Kansas City, MO | $47,069 | $32,000 | 481,420 | 8 |
| 46 | New Orleans, LA | $46,958 | $30,000 | 391,495 | 2 |
| 47 | Gilbert, AZ | $60,096 | $37,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 48 | Buffalo, NY | $57,426 | $35,000 | 256,902 | 2 |
| 49 | Orlando, FL | $46,536 | $29,000 | 277,173 | 14 |
| 50 | Irvine, CA | $69,807 | $42,000 | 266,122 | 2 |
Highest paying cities for food service directors
| Rank | City | Avg. food service director salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $76,493 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $68,198 |
| 3 | Federal Way, WA | $67,870 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $64,669 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $64,316 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $63,746 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $61,751 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $61,457 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $55,196 |
| 10 | Richmond, IN | $51,489 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $50,505 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $49,648 |
| 13 | Boca Raton, FL | $48,373 |
| 14 | Columbia, MO | $47,304 |
| 15 | Columbia, TN | $46,987 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $46,976 |
| 17 | Madison, WI | $44,465 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $42,163 |
| 19 | Lincoln, NE | $41,296 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,897 |
Food service director best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for food service director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025