How To Become A Food Service Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a food service manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A food service manager is responsible for overseeing the operations of a food service establishment. They are in charge of managing staff, ordering supplies, ensuring food safety and quality, and creating menus. They also handle customer complaints, manage budgets and financial statements, and work to increase sales and revenue for the establishment.Overall, a food service manager plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation and success of a food service establishment.

ScoreFood Service ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,564

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 8.46%

Black or African American 11.55%

Hispanic or Latino 16.19%

Unknown 4.94%

White 58.29%

Gender

female 54.17%

male 45.83%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a food service manager?

Pros

Opportunity for career advancement
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Opportunity to develop leadership and management skills
Opportunity to work with food and culinary experts
Ability to work flexible hours

Cons

Long and irregular hours
High stress environment
Heavy workload and demanding responsibilities
Dealing with difficult customers or employees
High turnover rate for staff

Key steps to become a food service manager

Explore food service manager education requirements

Most common food service manager degrees

Bachelor's

42.3 %

Associate

28.4 %

High School Diploma

17.0 %

Start to develop specific food service manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	26.78%
Sanitation Standards	9.94%
Cleanliness	7.26%
Patients	6.21%
Kitchen Equipment	4.69%

Complete relevant food service manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New food service managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a food service manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real food service manager resumes.

Gain additional food service manager certifications

Food service manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific food service manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for food service managers include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Food Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research food service manager duties and responsibilities

Manage all aspects of the human resources task, including hiring, training, payroll, and the negotiated contract.
Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
Train food & nutrition team in SERVSAFE, HACCP, knife skills and environmental safety.

Prepare your food service manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your food service manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a food service manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable food service manager resume templates

Build a professional food service manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your food service manager resume.