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Food service manager salary
Average food service manager salary
$43,564
Food Service Manager Salary Breakdown
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Food Service Manager is approximately $43,564 per year, translating to about $21 per hour. However, this figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry.
Salary by State
In states like California and New York, these managers can earn considerably more due to the higher cost of living and demand for skilled positions. For example:
- California: $50,000+
- New York: $48,000+
- Texas: $42,000+
Moreover, experience plays a crucial role in salary progression. Entry-level positions may start lower, but as professionals gain experience and expertise, their earning potential increases significantly.
Opportunities for Career Growth
Food Service Managers can find roles in various settings, including restaurants, schools, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias. Each sector may offer distinct salary ranges and benefits, making it essential for job seekers to explore multiple avenues. Understanding these dynamics will help you make informed career decisions and maximize your earning potential.
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Where can a Food Service Manager earn more?
Food service manager salary estimates from across the web
Average food service manager salary by state
The highest-paying states for food service managers are Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. The lowest average food service manager salary states are Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food service managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $55,867 | $26.86 |
| 2 | Nevada | $55,771 | $26.81 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $54,515 | $26.21 |
| 4 | Arizona | $45,955 | $22.09 |
| 5 | New York | $56,201 | $27.02 |
| 6 | Washington | $49,450 | $23.77 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $56,476 | $27.15 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $52,782 | $25.38 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $43,519 | $20.92 |
| 10 | Delaware | $46,293 | $22.26 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $48,809 | $23.47 |
| 12 | California | $50,609 | $24.33 |
| 13 | Maine | $43,958 | $21.13 |
| 14 | Maryland | $44,681 | $21.48 |
| 15 | Oregon | $47,259 | $22.72 |
| 16 | Utah | $43,073 | $20.71 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $39,218 | $18.85 |
| 18 | Vermont | $46,603 | $22.41 |
| 19 | Montana | $42,201 | $20.29 |
| 20 | Alaska | $40,394 | $19.42 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $39,530 | $19.00 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $38,094 | $18.31 |
| 23 | Virginia | $41,789 | $20.09 |
| 24 | Texas | $38,852 | $18.68 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $41,654 | $20.03 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $49,195 | $23.65 |
| 27 | Iowa | $36,458 | $17.53 |
| 28 | Colorado | $41,453 | $19.93 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $39,049 | $18.77 |
| 30 | Idaho | $41,309 | $19.86 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $36,596 | $17.59 |
| 32 | Illinois | $37,036 | $17.81 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $39,781 | $19.13 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $44,641 | $21.46 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $36,262 | $17.43 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $38,359 | $18.44 |
| 37 | Michigan | $36,032 | $17.32 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $38,632 | $18.57 |
| 39 | Ohio | $34,931 | $16.79 |
| 40 | Florida | $35,359 | $17.00 |
| 41 | Indiana | $33,418 | $16.07 |
| 42 | Alabama | $35,422 | $17.03 |
| 43 | Georgia | $34,510 | $16.59 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $31,824 | $15.30 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $31,918 | $15.35 |
| 46 | Missouri | $34,586 | $16.63 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $33,306 | $16.01 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $34,175 | $16.43 |
| 49 | Kansas | $31,744 | $15.26 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $31,852 | $15.31 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $32,139 | $15.45 |
Highest paying cities for food service managers
The highest-paying cities for food service managers are New York, NY, Edison, NJ, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $56,354 | $27.09 |
| 2 | Edison, NJ | $55,870 | $26.86 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $55,420 | $26.64 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $54,193 | $26.05 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $49,166 | $23.64 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $48,770 | $23.45 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $46,892 | $22.54 |
| 8 | Wilmington, DE | $46,802 | $22.50 |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $44,552 | $21.42 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $44,221 | $21.26 |
| 11 | Alexandria, VA | $44,016 | $21.16 |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, UT | $42,781 | $20.57 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $41,257 | $19.84 |
| 14 | Columbus, MS | $40,858 | $19.64 |
| 15 | Lubbock, TX | $39,493 | $18.99 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $37,258 | $17.91 |
| 17 | Jacksonville, NC | $36,564 | $17.58 |
| 18 | Knoxville, TN | $36,268 | $17.44 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $36,227 | $17.42 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $34,536 | $16.60 |
Food service manager salary details
A food service manager's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $66,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food service manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| 75th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| Average | $43,564 | $3,630 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying food service manager jobs
The highest paying types of food service managers are service manager, manager, and food service director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shift Lead Manager | $34,547 | $2,879 | $16.61 | 274,021 |
| Banquet Manager | $53,423 | $4,452 | $25.68 | 93,415 |
| Kitchen Manager | $50,448 | $4,204 | $24.25 | 151,781 |
| Manager | $58,651 | $4,888 | $28.20 | 1,236,194 |
| Dairy Manager | $32,417 | $2,701 | $15.59 | 89,317 |
| Dietary Manager | $42,856 | $3,571 | $20.60 | 95,306 |
Top companies hiring food service managers now:
Which companies pay food service managers the most?
Food service manager salaries at Kern Community College District and Cook Children's Medical Center are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food service manager salary at companies like Boston Public Schools and American Bar Association are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Community College District | $81,036 | $38.96 |
| 2 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $67,518 | $32.46 |
| 3 | Boston Public Schools | $67,087 | $32.25 |
| 4 | American Bar Association | $61,191 | $29.42 |
| 5 | Silver Diner | $58,920 | $28.33 |
| 6 | Global Partners | $58,842 | $28.29 |
| 7 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $54,284 | $26.10 |
| 8 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $53,944 | $25.93 |
| 9 | Stanford University | $53,371 | $25.66 |
| 10 | University of California | $51,389 | $24.71 |
| 11 | Bering Straits | $50,713 | $24.38 |
| 12 | St. Bernard Hospital | $50,230 | $24.15 |
| 13 | Washington State University | $50,148 | $24.11 |
| 14 | Kings Harbor | $50,092 | $24.08 |
| 15 | University of California-Berkeley | $49,477 | $23.79 |
| 16 | Ethica Health & Retirement Communities | $49,349 | $23.73 |
| 17 | Columbia Property Trust | $48,645 | $23.39 |
| 18 | Maxim Healthcare Group | $48,146 | $23.15 |
| 19 | Petersen Health Care | $48,121 | $23.14 |
| 20 | Bear Lakes Country Club | $47,977 | $23.07 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food Service Manager salary by industry
The average food service manager salary varies across industries:
- The average food service manager salary in the government industry is $44,075, the highest of any industry.
- The average food service manager salary in the finance industry is $42,334.
- Food service managers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $35,681, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for food service managers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $44,075 | $21.19 |
| 2 | Health Care | $42,334 | $20.35 |
| 3 | Education | $39,054 | $18.78 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $37,695 | $18.12 |
| 5 | Retail | $35,681 | $17.15 |
High paying food service manager jobs
Food service manager salary trends
The average food service manager salary has risen by $6,528 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food service manager earned $37,036 annually, but today, they earn $43,564 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for food service managers over the last decade.
Compare food service manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food service manager salary over time
Compare food service manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food service manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $43,600 | $20.94 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $42,600 | $20.47 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $41,800 | $20.07 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | $40,100 | $19.26 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $39,100 | $18.81 | +4.2% |
Recently added food service manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devereux | Food Service Manager | Red Hook, NY | 06/29/2025 | $66,446 |
| Fa007 | Food Service Manager II, III-Food Service-Statewide | Nome, TX | 06/29/2025 | $51,323 |
| Quickchek | Food Service Manager In Training-(NJ Template & Internal) | Bayonne, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $35,166 |
| Aramark Corp | Food Service Manager | Denton, MD | 06/27/2025 | $48,000 |
| Compass Group, North America | Patient Food Services Manager-Ocean | Ocean Springs, MS | 06/27/2025 | $55,000 |
| Sodexo | Food Service Manager 2 | Georgetown, KY | 06/27/2025 | $41,100 |
| Primrose School | Food Service Manager | San Antonio, TX | 06/27/2025 | $29,218 |
| Aramark Corp | Food Service Manager | Orient, OH | 06/26/2025 | $55,000 |
| Kwik Trip, Inc. | Food Service Manager | De Pere, WI | 06/26/2025 | $35,792 |
| Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services | Food Service Manager | Fort Supply, OK | 06/26/2025 | $38,500 |
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