Food supervisor vs food service manager

The differences between food supervisors and food service managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service manager has an average salary of $43,564, which is higher than the $33,414 average annual salary of a food supervisor.

The top three skills for a food supervisor include HACCP, problem resolution and safety training. The most important skills for a food service manager are customer service, sanitation standards, and cleanliness.

Food supervisor vs food service manager overview

	Food Supervisor	Food Service Manager
Yearly salary	$33,414	$43,564
Hourly rate	$16.06	$20.94
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	82,884	160,740
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	37	39
Years of experience	-	4

What does a food supervisor do?

A food supervisor directs workers who prepare, apportion, and serve food to clients and staff. Their major responsibility is to ensure compliance with the food safety standards set by relevant authorities. They are also tasked with updating the food safety program and training all staff to understand and adhere to the instructions contained therein.

What does a food service manager do?

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.

Food supervisor vs food service manager salary

Food supervisors and food service managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Supervisor	Food Service Manager
Average salary	$33,414	$43,564
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $28,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	Rhode Island
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between food supervisor and food service manager education

There are a few differences between a food supervisor and a food service manager in terms of educational background:

	Food Supervisor	Food Service Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Cornell University

Food supervisor vs food service manager demographics

Here are the differences between food supervisors' and food service managers' demographics:

	Food Supervisor	Food Service Manager
Average age	37	39
Gender ratio	Male, 54.3% Female, 45.7%	Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between food supervisor and food service manager duties and responsibilities

Food supervisor example responsibilities.

Lead shifts while personally preparing bakery items and executing requests base on require specifications.
Maintain all food and beverage storerooms in proper condition to ensure cleanliness, freshness, and organization.
Inspect all storage and food services preparation areas daily to ensure proper handling and cleanliness standards are met.
Travel to find better products that utilize the companies finances better while still providing the best culinary experience for the customer.
Examine food and beverage quality and presentation and provide corrective training where necessary, involving the culinary management team when need.
Develop and organize BOH through cleaning, maintenance, equipment care, and ordering and receiving.

Food service manager example 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.
Maintain all Intel, Aramark and ServSafe safety, sanitation and security guidelines.
Review and complete adequate weekly sales projections, with mastery of using POS system

Food supervisor vs food service manager skills

Common food supervisor skills

HACCP, 18%
Problem Resolution, 18%
Safety Training, 16%
Safety Regulations, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
FDA, 6%

Common food service manager skills

Customer Service, 27%
Sanitation Standards, 10%
Cleanliness, 7%
Patients, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 5%
Food Handling, 4%

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Food Supervisor
Food Supervisor vs Food Service Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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