Kitchen supervisor vs deli manager

The differences between kitchen supervisors and deli managers 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 $39,221 average annual salary of a deli manager.

The top three skills for a kitchen supervisor include culinary, cleanliness and food service. The most important skills for a deli manager are cleanliness, basic math, and food safety.

Kitchen supervisor vs deli manager overview

	Kitchen Supervisor	Deli Manager
Yearly salary	$40,520	$39,221
Hourly rate	$19.48	$18.86
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	66,303	131,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	High School Diploma, 38%
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 deli manager do?

A deli manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations of the restaurant, delegating tasks to staff, supervising the food orders and services, maintaining adequate stock inventory, and finding ways to minimize production costs without compromising quality service. Deli managers strategize on techniques in maximizing the productivity of the operations staff to boost revenues and increase the business' profitability. They also attend to the guests' needs, respond to their inquiries, and resolve complaints immediately. A deli manager analyzes current food trends to update the restaurant's menu and meet the guests' demands.

Kitchen supervisor vs deli manager salary

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

	Kitchen Supervisor	Deli Manager
Average salary	$40,520	$39,221
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $30,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Hawaii
Best paying company	GoodCents	PCC Community Markets
Best paying industry	Start-up	Retail

Differences between kitchen supervisor and deli manager education

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

	Kitchen Supervisor	Deli Manager
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Kitchen supervisor vs deli manager demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen supervisors' and deli managers' demographics:

	Kitchen Supervisor	Deli Manager
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0%	Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between kitchen supervisor and deli manager 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.

Deli manager example responsibilities.

Manage deli; stock; order groceries, inventory, make salads, sandwiches, cookies, and doughnuts.
Frequent use basic measurements as well as math.
Wait on customers, utilize math, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Operate meat and cheese slicers, oven, fryer, cutting tools, scale and other deli equipment.
Provide direct service to customers including operating slicers.
Maintain cleanliness in accordance with safety and health regulations for a healthy and sanitation environment.

Kitchen supervisor vs deli manager skills

Common kitchen supervisor skills

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

Common deli manager skills

Cleanliness, 13%
Basic Math, 10%
Food Safety, 10%
Pallets, 8%
Food Handling, 8%
Math, 7%

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Kitchen Supervisor vs Deli Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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