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What is a front of house manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A front of house manager is in charge of the front of house team including waiters, bartenders and other service personnel, at a restaurant. Experience as a front of house personnel beforehand is crucial as you need to prove that you can do the job. A front of house manager ensures that the reception area of the restaurant is customer friendly, clean and tidy, the customer receives the warmest welcome, and the restaurant is profitable.

A front of house manager should possess exceptional people skills such as being professional, welcoming, and serving while interacting with customers. They should have managerial and leadership skills to be able to coordinate an entire front of the house team and rigour because they have to stand for long hours.

A bachelor's degree in a hospitality related field such as hotel management is desirable for this position. It is possible to become one with a high school diploma or GED, though. However, a college degree improves the chances of a better salary. On average they earn $42,691 a year, that's $20.52 an hour. This career's growh rate is at 11%, and will produce 38,500 new jobs by 2028.

ScoreFront Of House ManagerUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $41,163

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
7.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 8.29%

Black or African American 10.98%

Hispanic or Latino 16.36%

Unknown 4.91%

White 58.90%

Gender

female 57.96%

male 42.04%

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

Front of house manager career paths

Key steps to become a front of house manager

  1. Explore front of house manager education requirements

    Most common front of house manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    55.3 %

    Associate

    19.9 %

    High School Diploma

    16.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific front of house manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cleanliness15.84%
    Guest Satisfaction8.46%
    Wine7.97%
    Guest Service7.74%
    POS7.23%
  3. Complete relevant front of house manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New front of house 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 front of house manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real front of house manager resumes.
  4. Gain additional front of house manager certifications

    Front of house 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 front of house manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for front of house managers include Certified Food Manager (CFM) and Food Safety Manager Certification.

    More About Certifications
  5. Research front of house manager duties and responsibilities

    • Plan and manage all windows design and implementations.
    • Manage a dedicate Linux web server; install new vhosts accounts including a cpanel via WHM software.
    • Manage the development of a hybrid Linux desktop deploy to an acquire company to aid in application integration.
    • Manage and full responsible for the daily operation of all bars outlet, main bar, and banquet bar service.
  6. Prepare your front of house manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your front of house 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 front of house 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 front of house manager resume templates

    Build a professional front of house 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 front of house manager resume.
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  7. Apply for front of house manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a front of house manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first front of house manager job

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Average front of house manager salary

The average front of house manager salary in the United States is $41,163 per year or $20 per hour. Front of house manager salaries range between $27,000 and $61,000 per year.

Average front of house manager salary
$41,163 Yearly
$19.79 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do front of house managers rate their job?

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Front of house manager reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Leadership setting goals as team players, enjoying effective communication and understanding people and providing the best services and products. Happy staff happy business.

Cons

Negativity, bad customer service, and dishonesty and disrespect from stafff


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Cons

some long hours, also working mostly Holidays


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Sometimes, free food but sometimes cooks are not that good so I'd rather paid for better food

Cons

Everything else, of course! What's to be liked when you work shifts, nights, always on holidays and go to the gym at 1am?


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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