How to hire a food service supervisor

How to hire a food service supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step food service supervisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a food service supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new food service supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a food service supervisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your food service supervisor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a food service supervisor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a food service supervisor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a food service supervisor that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of food service supervisors.

   Type of Food Service Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Food Service Supervisor	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$12-19
   Restaurant Manager	A restaurant manager is responsible for handling the overall restaurant operations. These include monitoring revenues and daily restaurant sales, checking inventories and supplies, negotiating with third-party vendors, and managing customers' inquiries and complaints... Show more	$18-33
   Banquet Manager	A banquet manager oversees the daily operations of banquet-hosting establishments, from planning to execution, ensuring events run smoothly and efficiently according to client requirements and preferences. They coordinate with the banquet director and head chef, working together to establish goals, guidelines, budgets, schedules, and strategies to meet the events' needs... Show more	$18-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Good Judgment
   • Safety Practices
   • Food Production
   • Customer Service
   • Food Handling
   • Patients
   • Culinary
   • ServSafe
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Cleanliness
   • Meal Service
   • Math
   • Food Service Equipment
   • Fixed Assets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
   • Icomply to all HACCP standards and is ServSafe certify.
   • Compile staff schedules, prepare money for cash drops, operate register and POS.
   • Perform culinary decision making as it pertain to food inventory, menus, and production methods.
   • Facilitate training on production equipment and GMP's travele to multiple sites with employees to complete training.
   • Monitor and document HACCP sanitation standards.

   More food service supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your food service supervisor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A food service supervisor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, food service supervisors' average salary in louisiana is 47% less than in minnesota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level food service supervisors 39% less than senior-level food service supervisors.
   • Certifications. A food service supervisor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a food service supervisor's salary.

   Average food service supervisor salary

   $15.75hourly

   $32,763 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level food service supervisor salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

   Average food service supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$40,533	$19
   2	California	$39,942	$19
   3	New York	$39,326	$19
   4	Wisconsin	$37,706	$18
   5	Washington	$37,451	$18
   6	Pennsylvania	$35,786	$17
   7	Iowa	$35,758	$17
   8	Colorado	$35,281	$17
   9	Illinois	$34,198	$16
   10	District of Columbia	$31,897	$15
   11	Nebraska	$31,550	$15
   12	Ohio	$31,229	$15
   13	Arizona	$31,023	$15
   14	Indiana	$30,276	$15
   15	Maryland	$29,986	$14
   16	North Carolina	$26,398	$13
   17	Texas	$23,940	$12
   18	Florida	$23,500	$11
   19	Alabama	$22,878	$11
   20	Georgia	$22,582	$11

   Average food service supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research	$49,193	$23.65
   2	Boston Public Schools	$48,563	$23.35	2
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$43,897	$21.10
   4	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$41,664	$20.03	17
   5	Syracuse University	$41,284	$19.85	2
   6	Wayne County, Michigan	$41,122	$19.77
   7	Washington State University	$40,088	$19.27
   8	Travis County	$39,998	$19.23
   9	Global Partners	$39,931	$19.20	44
   10	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	$39,796	$19.13
   11	University of Wisconsin System	$39,526	$19.00	6
   12	University of Washington	$39,004	$18.75	9
   13	State Bar of Michigan	$38,596	$18.56	3
   14	Baptist Health Home Care	$37,787	$18.17	8
   15	Schuyler Hospital	$37,743	$18.15
   16	Highland General Hospital	$37,690	$18.12
   17	Alameda Health System	$37,630	$18.09
   18	Shriners Hospitals for Children	$37,614	$18.08	1
   19	Grossmont College	$37,581	$18.07	1
   20	Park Nicollet Medical Center Inc	$37,416	$17.99

4. Writing a food service supervisor job description

   A food service supervisor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a food service supervisor job description:

   Food service supervisor job description example

   SUMMARY: Under direction. Supervises the preparation, delivery and serving of food at San Leandro Hospital. Performs related duties as required.
   
   DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification, however, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.
   
   1. Works under the general direction of the Director of Food and Nutrition Services. Oversees patient meal assembly, tray line, ware washing,café services, catering services and other areas as needed.
   
   2. Establishes and maintains quality assurance standards (i.e. patient care, Cafeteria Health and Safety, The Joint Commission, Title 22);; keeps procedural manuals up to date; compiles data for reports; conducts QA surveys and inspections; develops plan of corrective action accordingly.
   3. Monitors sanitation in the Department and conducts sanitation rounds.
   
   4. Standardizes recipes and tests new products for use; consult with Food Service Management regarding personnel, procedures and operating systems; participates in Food Service Management group rotating work schedule; attends hospital meetings.
   
   5. Supervises the activities of all staff within the Food and Nutrition Department at San Leandro Hospital.assigns work, evaluates work performance, coordinates and delivers all required training.
   
   6. Supervises the cleaning and packaging of utensils and dishes required for special functions; oversees the preparation, packaging and distribution of refreshments ordered for patients and personnel for special functions.
   
   7. Supports and guides the Food and Nutrition Service team as needed under the leadership of the department director.
   
   Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree with major studies in food and nutrition, dietetics, or food management and has one year of experience in the dietetic service of a licensed health facility OR a graduate of a dietetic technician training program approved by the American Dietetic Association, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education, or currently registered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration OR a graduate of a dietetic assistant training program approved by the American Dietetic Association OR is a graduate of a dietetic services training program approved by the Dietary Managers Association and is a certified dietary manager credentialed by the Certifying Board of the Dietary Managers Association (if incumbent does not have this certification, then it must be obtained within 6 months of hire), maintains this certification, and has received at least 6 hours of in-service training on the specific CA dietary service requirements contained in Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations prior to assuming full-time duties as a Food Services Supervisor at San Leandro Hospital.
   
   Minimum Experience: One year of experience as a Senior Food Service Worker OR six months of experience as a Food Service Supervisor, preferably in a health care setting, or experience as a supervisor in a clinical or health care setting.
   
   Required Licenses/Certifications: ServSafe Certificate or obtained within 3 months of hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right food service supervisor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your food service supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit food service supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit food service supervisors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new food service supervisor

   Once you've found the food service supervisor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new food service supervisor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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