How much does a director of catering make?

The average director of catering salary in the United States is $65,732. Director of catering salaries typically range between $43,000 and $98,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for directors of catering is $31.6 per hour. Director of catering salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Directors of catering earn the highest average salary in California.

Director of catering salary

Q: What state pays Directors Of Catering the most?

California pays Directors Of Catering the most in the United States, with an average salary of $86,458 per year, or $41.57 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a director of catering?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a director of catering if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Hawaii you should be paid close to $82,791 per year.

Average director of catering salary

$65,732

$31.6 hourly rate

Entry-level director of catering salary

$43,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Director of Catering Salary

The average Director of Catering salary is approximately $65,732 per year. Factors influencing this salary include geographical location, years of experience, and the type of establishment. For instance, directors in metropolitan areas often earn more due to higher demand for catering services. Additionally, those with extensive experience or working in high-end venues may receive salaries exceeding this average.

Salary by State

Salary estimates vary significantly by state. For example:

California: $75,000
New York: $70,000
Texas: $60,000

These figures reflect the demand for catering services in different regions. Moreover, certifications and advanced culinary skills can lead to higher pay opportunities. With the catering industry continually evolving, those in leadership roles are positioned for growth, making this a promising career choice for individuals looking to impact the culinary landscape.

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Director of catering salary by:

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Where can a Director Of Catering earn more?

Compare salary by location

119k

99k

79k

59k

39k

19k

Columbus, OH$92,289

Cookeville, TN$49,151

Compare salary by company

91k

71k

51k

31k

J.F. Shea Co$79,859

Elior North America$60,576

Director of catering salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a director of catering typically falls between $65,732 and $88,248.

zippia

$65,732yearly

glassdoor[1]

$88,248yearly

indeed[2]

$80,732yearly

comparably[3]

$86,211yearly

Salary.com[4]

$66,937yearly

Average director of catering salary by state

The highest-paying states for directors of catering are California, Hawaii, and New Jersey. The lowest average director of catering salary states are Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for directors of catering

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Rhode Island	$80,393	$38.65
2	New Jersey	$82,337	$39.59
3	California	$86,458	$41.57
4	Oregon	$80,304	$38.61
5	New York	$77,752	$37.38
6	Connecticut	$74,324	$35.73
7	Nevada	$80,346	$38.63
8	New Hampshire	$76,638	$36.85
9	District of Columbia	$77,748	$37.38
10	Washington	$78,203	$37.60
11	Arizona	$71,728	$34.48
12	Alabama	$65,556	$31.52
13	Massachusetts	$69,922	$33.62
14	Illinois	$67,664	$32.53
15	Louisiana	$63,742	$30.65
16	Pennsylvania	$66,682	$32.06
17	Maine	$71,276	$34.27
18	Maryland	$72,279	$34.75
19	Vermont	$65,495	$31.49
20	Idaho	$66,913	$32.17
21	Utah	$64,014	$30.78
22	Mississippi	$60,978	$29.32
23	Delaware	$71,283	$34.27
24	Indiana	$65,542	$31.51
25	Virginia	$69,584	$33.45
26	Wisconsin	$66,149	$31.80
27	Hawaii	$82,791	$39.80
28	Ohio	$60,770	$29.22
29	North Carolina	$61,450	$29.54
30	West Virginia	$63,713	$30.63
31	Georgia	$59,525	$28.62
32	Oklahoma	$55,963	$26.91
33	Michigan	$61,676	$29.65
34	New Mexico	$62,972	$30.27
35	Texas	$57,941	$27.86
36	Wyoming	$57,805	$27.79
37	Nebraska	$54,634	$26.27
38	Iowa	$60,198	$28.94
39	Kentucky	$55,996	$26.92
40	Colorado	$56,278	$27.06
41	Minnesota	$55,839	$26.85
42	South Carolina	$54,013	$25.97
43	Alaska	$58,656	$28.20
44	Montana	$53,536	$25.74
45	Florida	$50,409	$24.24
46	Tennessee	$48,826	$23.47
47	Missouri	$53,897	$25.91
48	Arkansas	$52,544	$25.26
49	North Dakota	$50,204	$24.14
50	Kansas	$47,904	$23.03
51	South Dakota	$48,495	$23.31

Top director of catering jobs near you

Highest paying cities for directors of catering

The highest-paying cities for directors of catering are San Francisco, CA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Lake Oswego, OR.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$92,289	$44.37
2	Cherry Hill, NJ	$81,724	$39.29
3	Lake Oswego, OR	$79,398	$38.17
4	Kent, WA	$78,861	$37.91
5	New York, NY	$78,063	$37.53
6	Washington, DC	$77,817	$37.41
7	Scottsdale, AZ	$71,924	$34.58
8	Milton, MA	$70,074	$33.69
9	Norfolk, VA	$69,591	$33.46
10	Chicago, IL	$68,214	$32.80
11	Philadelphia, PA	$67,196	$32.31
12	Indianapolis, IN	$65,137	$31.32
13	Greenville, NC	$64,482	$31.00
14	Columbus, OH	$60,222	$28.95
15	Atlanta, GA	$59,468	$28.59
16	Austin, TX	$58,172	$27.97
17	Colorado Springs, CO	$56,726	$27.27
18	Pembroke Pines, FL	$50,817	$24.43
19	Cookeville, TN	$49,151	$23.63

Director of catering salary details

A director of catering's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average director of catering salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a director of catering's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$98,000	$8,167	$47
75th Percentile	$81,000	$6,750	$39
Average	$65,732	$5,478	$32
25th Percentile	$53,000	$4,417	$25
10th Percentile	$43,000	$3,583	$21

Highest paying director of catering jobs

The highest paying types of directors of catering are director of sales and marketing, director, and director of sales.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Swing Manager	$38,427	$3,202	$18.47	203,761
Food Service Supervisor	$32,763	$2,730	$15.75	139,403
Food And Beverage Manager	$53,013	$4,418	$25.49	159,775
Sales And Event Manager	$50,986	$4,249	$24.51	89,744
Restaurant Manager	$52,202	$4,350	$25.10	225,340
Shift Lead Manager	$34,547	$2,879	$16.61	274,021

Top companies hiring directors of catering now:

Which companies pay directors of catering the most?

Director of catering salaries at J.F. Shea Co and Goodwin Recruiting are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of catering salary at companies like Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Mandarin Oriental are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	J.F. Shea Co	$79,859	$38.39
2	Goodwin Recruiting	$72,478	$34.85
3	Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants	$71,918	$34.58
4	Mandarin Oriental	$71,820	$34.53
5	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$71,595	$34.42
6	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$71,131	$34.20
7	Nemacolin	$70,561	$33.92
8	Hyatt Hotels	$69,779	$33.55
9	ezCater	$68,706	$33.03
10	HOME BUILDERS ASSN.	$68,211	$32.79
11	Lines	$68,203	$32.79
12	Thompson Hospitality	$66,955	$32.19
13	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$66,825	$32.13
14	Las Vegas Sands	$65,884	$31.68
15	Aimbridge Hospitality	$65,847	$31.66
16	Marriott International	$63,673	$30.61
17	Highgate Hotels	$62,763	$30.17
18	Bashas'	$62,100	$29.86
19	Lightspeed	$61,125	$29.39
20	Elior North America	$60,576	$29.12

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$71,000$70,000$69,000$68,000$67,000$66,000

MaleFemale

Director of catering salary trends

The average director of catering salary has risen by $9,850 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of catering earned $55,882 annually, but today, they earn $65,732 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for directors of catering over the last decade.

Compare director of catering salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average director of catering salary over time

Compare director of catering salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Director of catering salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$65,700	$31.60	+2.2%
2024	$64,300	$30.89	+2.0%
2023	$63,000	$30.29	+4.1%
2022	$60,400	$29.06	+2.3%
2021	$59,000	$28.38	+4.2%

Recently added director of catering salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Compass Group USA Inc.	Catering Director-IIT	Chicago, IL	06/25/2025	$82,000
Compass Group USA Inc.	Catering Director	New York, NY	06/20/2025	$90,000
Asmglobal	Director of Catering Operations	San Francisco, CA	06/20/2025	$110,000
Sage Hospitality	Director of Catering & Events	Denver, CO	06/19/2025	$75,000
Sage Hospitality Group	Director of Catering & Events	Denver, CO	06/18/2025	$75,000
Tanque Verde Ranch	Director of Catering	Nisswa, MN	06/16/2025	$75,000
Grand View Lodge	Director of Catering	Nisswa, MN	06/16/2025	$75,000
The Westin Jekyll Island	Director of Catering and Events	Nunez, GA	06/12/2025	$85,000
Aramark Corp	Catering Director-Howard University	Washington, DC	06/11/2025	$100,000
Compass Group USA Inc.	Catering Director-ST.	Saint Petersburg, FL	06/11/2025	$85,000

Director of catering salary FAQs

What state pays Directors Of Catering the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a director of catering?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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