How to Become a Food Service Manager
Run restaurants and food operations end to end: staffing, service, inventory, and the guest experience. It typically requires an associate degree, with a median salary of $69,390 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$69,390/yr
Middle half
$56,870 to $86,800
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
42,000
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Operations Management
- Staff Scheduling
- Food Safety
- Customer Service
- Cost Control
Helpful certifications
- ServSafe Manager
- FMP (Foodservice Management Professional)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
0/100
Work-life balance
66/100
Stress level
65/100
Related careers
- Hotel Manager (Lodging)$69,250 median
- Chef / Head Cook$62,470 median
- Event Planner$61,160 median
- Tour Guide$38,120 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Food Service Manager make?
The median pay for a Food Service Manager is $69,390 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $56,870 and $86,800 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Food Service Manager?
The usual entry point is an associate degree. Common majors are Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Culinary Management, and Culinary Arts.
Is Food Service Manager a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 42,000 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Food Service Manager use most?
Common skills for this role are Operations Management, Staff Scheduling, Food Safety, Customer Service, and Cost Control.
Planning to become a Food Service Manager?
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).