Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between food service managers and bar 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 service manager and a bar manager. Additionally, a bar manager has an average salary of $46,828, which is higher than the $43,564 average annual salary of a food service manager.
The top three skills for a food service manager include customer service, sanitation standards and cleanliness. The most important skills for a bar manager are customer service, wine, and beverage orders.
| Food Service Manager | Bar Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $43,564 | $46,828 |
| Hourly rate | $20.94 | $22.51 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 160,740 | 165,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A food service manager's role is to oversee and supervise all operations in a restaurant or a similar setting. They are primarily responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction through optimal foodservice, an efficient workforce, and a safe and healthy environment. A food service manager must also greet customers, escort them to their tables, handle any issues and concerns, manage the employees, train new hires, manage the payroll and budget, and coordinate with all restaurant personnel. Furthermore, a food service manager must delegate tasks among employees and assign their schedules accordingly.
Bar managers are also called bar owners or supervisors of bar establishments. The managers are in charge of managing customer complaints, ensuring stocks in the bar, and in scheduling the jobs of employees. They oversee the overall operations of the bar, manage its staff, and ensure that the standards of products and services are met. They maintain the licensure of liquor and make sure that their staff follows the local regulations. Also, they see to it that customers are served promptly.
Food service managers and bar managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Manager | Bar Manager | |
| Average salary | $43,564 | $46,828 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $66,000 | Between $33,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Greenwich, CT |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Greenwich Country Club |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a food service manager and a bar manager in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Manager | Bar Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between food service managers' and bar managers' demographics:
| Food Service Manager | Bar Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% | Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |