Kitchen supervisor vs caterer

The differences between kitchen supervisors and caterers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen supervisor has an average salary of $40,520, which is higher than the $28,891 average annual salary of a caterer.

The top three skills for a kitchen supervisor include culinary, cleanliness and food service. The most important skills for a caterer are food service, kitchen equipment, and food delivery.

Kitchen supervisor vs caterer overview

	Kitchen Supervisor	Caterer
Yearly salary	$40,520	$28,891
Hourly rate	$19.48	$13.89
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	66,303	1,648
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a kitchen supervisor do?

A kitchen supervisor is responsible for managing the overall kitchen operations, ensuring that the kitchen employees follow sanitary procedures while doing their high-quality and maximum productivity tasks. Kitchen supervisors manage inventories, checking the adequacy of food supplies and kitchen equipment, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors. They also help develop marketing strategies, research the latest food trends, update menus, and create financial reports and expense forecasting. A kitchen supervisor must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially with responding to customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints.

What does a caterer do?

A caterer is responsible for monitoring food preparation and presentation, ensuring the adequacy and accuracy of food stock based on the clients' specifications and guest count. Caterers often work with clients for special occasions and events, identify their needs, including the menu and nutritional requirements. They arrange food services from the dinnerware to choosing the appropriate staff to help with assisting the food preparation in the event's location. A caterer should maintain the highest sanitary standards at all times to guarantee the foods' safety, as well as showcase communication skills when responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns.

Kitchen supervisor vs caterer salary

Kitchen supervisors and caterers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Supervisor	Caterer
Average salary	$40,520	$28,891
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Beverly, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	GoodCents	The College of St. Scholastica
Best paying industry	Start-up	Hospitality

Differences between kitchen supervisor and caterer education

There are a few differences between a kitchen supervisor and a caterer in terms of educational background:

	Kitchen Supervisor	Caterer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Kitchen supervisor vs caterer demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen supervisors' and caterers' demographics:

	Kitchen Supervisor	Caterer
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0%	Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 6.8% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between kitchen supervisor and caterer duties and responsibilities

Kitchen supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage grill area and demonstrate leadership.
Manage people and oversee production of high-volume establishment for this upscale restaurant specializing in Mexican cuisine.
Train and supervise all culinary employees including community service volunteers in kitchen operations and delegate daily work assignments.
Maintain kitchen and dining area under Servsafe guidelines.
Used a POS system and show advanced money management skills.
Exercise leadership skills by coordinating kitchen staff during busy times.

Caterer example responsibilities.

Help serve foods from buffet to ADM employees.
Plan and prepare meals for the local Headstart program.
Set up's and breaking down of parties, service, bartending
Set up tables, action stations, buffets, service carts, dessert table/carts and cordial carts.
Serve and wait on diners in traditional sit-down meal settings as well as buffets and drink bars.
Perform bartending for many events, often individually.

Kitchen supervisor vs caterer skills

Common kitchen supervisor skills

Culinary, 16%
Cleanliness, 11%
Food Service, 10%
Food Handling, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

Common caterer skills

Food Service, 28%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Delivery, 8%
Banquet Service, 7%
Bartending, 5%
Fine Dining, 4%

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Kitchen Supervisor vs Caterer

Updated January 8, 2025

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