Food Service Managers
Food Service Managers (SOC 11-9051) earn a median $69,390 a year ($33.36 an hour) in the United States, with 238,430 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What food service managers do
Food service managers run restaurants, cafeterias, catering operations, and other places that prepare and serve food and beverages. They work wherever an organization or department serves food and beverages, and titles include restaurant manager, cafeteria director, and banquet manager. Daily tasks include scheduling staff hours and assigning duties, setting standards for employee performance and customer service, and resolving complaints about food quality or service. They count money, make bank deposits, and keep the records that government agencies require for sanitation or food subsidies. When necessary they also cook, clear tables, or serve food and drinks themselves. The occupation does not include chefs and head cooks, who direct kitchen preparation and menus but are classified separately in the food preparation group, and it differs from lodging managers, who run hotels and other accommodations. Food service managers of hotels are counted here rather than with lodging managers. They also maintain food and equipment inventories and monitor budgets and payroll records to confirm that expenditures are authorized.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Banquet Director, Banquet Manager, Cafe Operator, Cafeteria Director, Cafeteria Manager.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.09 | $27.34 | $33.36 | $41.73 | $51.75 | $36.00 | 238,430 |
| Annual | $45,960 | $56,870 | $69,390 | $86,800 | $107,640 | $74,880 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where food service managers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $32.81 | $38.18 | $45.77 | $53.39 | $66.45 | $48.85 | 1,180 | 0.33 | 0.22 |
| Annual | $68,240 | $79,410 | $95,190 | $111,050 | $138,210 | $101,600 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $28.02 | $35.31 | $44.35 | $49.48 | $62.50 | $44.14 | 4,310 | 1.19 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $58,290 | $73,430 | $92,240 | $102,920 | $129,990 | $91,810 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $22.78 | $29.65 | $42.21 | $50.28 | $61.41 | $43.68 | 1,230 | 1.95 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $47,390 | $61,660 | $87,800 | $104,570 | $127,740 | $90,860 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $30.01 | $34.82 | $40.48 | $50.38 | $68.84 | $45.31 | 8,000 | 0.83 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $62,420 | $72,420 | $84,200 | $104,800 | $143,180 | $94,250 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $29.66 | $30.51 | $39.83 | $45.80 | $56.81 | $40.55 | 760 | 1.52 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $61,690 | $63,470 | $82,850 | $95,260 | $118,150 | $84,340 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.93 | $28.87 | $37.63 | $48.17 | $61.22 | $40.53 | 33,180 | 1.82 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $47,690 | $60,040 | $78,260 | $100,190 | $127,340 | $84,300 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $20.82 | $23.44 | $29.21 | $36.44 | $47.39 | $31.86 | 25,990 | 1.85 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $43,310 | $48,750 | $60,770 | $75,800 | $98,570 | $66,260 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $22.02 | $28.37 | $35.00 | $43.98 | $54.78 | $37.19 | 18,500 | 1.86 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $45,800 | $59,010 | $72,790 | $91,480 | $113,940 | $77,360 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $17.50 | $25.12 | $30.73 | $38.39 | $49.02 | $33.31 | 11,270 | 1.85 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $36,390 | $52,250 | $63,930 | $79,850 | $101,960 | $69,290 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $21.11 | $26.77 | $31.13 | $37.61 | $45.51 | $33.22 | 10,530 | 1.74 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $43,900 | $55,690 | $64,750 | $78,220 | $94,660 | $69,090 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $35.84 | $40.58 | $47.50 | $54.19 | $66.72 | $50.23 | 760 | 0.36 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $74,550 | $84,400 | $98,800 | $112,720 | $138,780 | $104,480 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $29.99 | $37.76 | $45.62 | $53.35 | $84.30 | $50.05 | 30 | 0.27 | 0.17 |
| Annual | $62,370 | $78,540 | $94,890 | $110,960 | $175,350 | $104,110 | ||||
| Bellingham, WA | Hourly | $34.00 | $40.96 | $45.00 | $49.79 | $64.89 | $46.24 | 30 | 0.35 | 0.23 |
| Annual | $70,720 | $85,200 | $93,610 | $103,570 | $134,980 | $96,170 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $28.14 | $29.65 | $44.98 | $56.99 | $62.56 | $45.90 | 280 | 3.76 | 2.45 |
| Annual | $58,540 | $61,680 | $93,550 | $118,540 | $130,120 | $95,480 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $29.75 | $36.25 | $44.55 | $49.48 | $63.81 | $44.82 | 3,280 | 1.22 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $61,870 | $75,390 | $92,650 | $102,920 | $132,730 | $93,230 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.52 | $31.38 | $37.43 | $48.23 | $60.24 | $40.66 | 11,330 | 1.81 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $46,830 | $65,270 | $77,850 | $100,310 | $125,290 | $84,570 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $29.43 | $34.40 | $39.89 | $51.28 | $67.51 | $45.06 | 10,000 | 1.05 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $61,210 | $71,560 | $82,970 | $106,660 | $140,410 | $93,730 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.28 | $26.92 | $31.55 | $39.68 | $48.29 | $33.67 | 8,530 | 1.89 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $35,940 | $55,990 | $65,620 | $82,530 | $100,440 | $70,020 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $21.66 | $27.46 | $29.69 | $36.95 | $48.98 | $33.89 | 6,710 | 1.66 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $45,050 | $57,110 | $61,760 | $76,850 | $101,880 | $70,500 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $19.23 | $26.56 | $32.49 | $38.65 | $46.50 | $33.67 | 5,590 | 1.93 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $39,990 | $55,240 | $67,580 | $80,390 | $96,720 | $70,030 | ||||
Top industries employing food service managers
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 70.9% of food service managers nationally (169,080 jobs) at a median $63,960 a year ($30.75 an hour), followed by Special Food Services (7.2%) and Traveler Accommodation (5.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 169,080 | 70.9% | $63,960 | $30.75 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 17,100 | 7.2% | $78,910 | $37.94 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 11,970 | 5.0% | $82,240 | $39.54 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 7,720 | 3.2% | $83,960 | $40.36 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 4,570 | 1.9% | $78,530 | $37.75 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (238,430). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $59,440 for food service managers in May 2021 and $69,390 in May 2025, with employment of 210,680 and 238,430.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $59,440 | $28.58 | 210,680 |
| May 2022 | $61,310 | $29.48 | 231,100 |
| May 2023 | $63,060 | $30.32 | 246,070 |
| May 2024 | $65,310 | $31.40 | 244,230 |
| May 2025 | $69,390 | $33.36 | 238,430 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $45.77 | $95,190 | $68,240 | $138,210 | 1,180 | 0.33 | 0.22 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $44.35 | $92,240 | $58,290 | $129,990 | 4,310 | 1.19 | 0.77 |
| 3 | Hawaii profile | $42.21 | $87,800 | $47,390 | $127,740 | 1,230 | 1.95 | 1.27 |
| 4 | New York profile | $40.48 | $84,200 | $62,420 | $143,180 | 8,000 | 0.83 | 0.54 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | $39.83 | $82,850 | $61,690 | $118,150 | 760 | 1.52 | 0.99 |
| 6 | Alaska profile | $39.44 | $82,030 | $58,180 | $119,440 | 380 | 1.15 | 0.75 |
| 7 | District of Columbia profile | $39.27 | $81,680 | $74,000 | $134,630 | 1,000 | 1.43 | 0.93 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $38.40 | $79,870 | $66,140 | $123,060 | 2,440 | 0.85 | 0.55 |
| 9 | Minnesota profile | $38.38 | $79,820 | $58,000 | $105,340 | 730 | 0.25 | 0.16 |
| 10 | California profile | $37.63 | $78,260 | $47,690 | $127,340 | 33,180 | 1.82 | 1.19 |
| 11 | New Jersey profile | $37.51 | $78,020 | $55,240 | $122,510 | 6,360 | 1.48 | 0.97 |
| 12 | Connecticut profile | $37.50 | $77,990 | $52,020 | $108,460 | 1,520 | 0.90 | 0.58 |
| 13 | Vermont profile | $37.46 | $77,910 | $43,100 | $134,010 | 500 | 1.65 | 1.08 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $37.19 | $77,360 | $60,850 | $107,660 | 590 | 0.86 | 0.56 |
| 15 | Delaware profile | $35.78 | $74,430 | $57,820 | $107,200 | 770 | 1.58 | 1.03 |
| 16 | North Carolina profile | $35.62 | $74,080 | $51,780 | $104,060 | 9,420 | 1.91 | 1.24 |
| 17 | Maryland profile | $35.03 | $72,850 | $52,240 | $113,560 | ** | ** | ** |
| 18 | Florida profile | $35.00 | $72,790 | $45,800 | $113,940 | 18,500 | 1.86 | 1.21 |
| 19 | North Dakota profile | $34.72 | $72,210 | $37,050 | $101,660 | 950 | 2.22 | 1.45 |
| 20 | Montana profile | $34.68 | $72,140 | $50,730 | $105,000 | 950 | 1.85 | 1.21 |
| 21 | Indiana profile | $34.34 | $71,430 | $43,580 | $100,480 | 4,990 | 1.56 | 1.02 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $34.25 | $71,230 | $50,970 | $103,470 | 3,820 | 0.93 | 0.61 |
| 23 | Maine profile | $33.90 | $70,510 | $46,290 | $89,470 | 1,210 | 1.88 | 1.23 |
| 24 | Kentucky profile | $33.85 | $70,410 | $41,070 | $102,780 | 1,680 | 0.84 | 0.55 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $33.81 | $70,320 | $46,190 | $103,340 | 1,540 | 1.07 | 0.70 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | $33.74 | $70,180 | $52,060 | $105,520 | 3,400 | 1.05 | 0.68 |
| 27 | Idaho profile | $33.72 | $70,140 | $43,110 | $105,160 | 670 | 0.78 | 0.51 |
| 28 | Utah profile | $33.40 | $69,480 | $46,800 | $99,860 | 2,400 | 1.38 | 0.90 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $32.07 | $66,700 | $45,610 | $100,170 | 1,760 | 1.13 | 0.73 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $31.82 | $66,190 | $47,130 | $103,680 | 5,080 | 2.21 | 1.44 |
| 31 | Missouri profile | $31.50 | $65,520 | $51,680 | $98,400 | 1,600 | 0.55 | 0.36 |
| 32 | Nevada profile | $31.40 | $65,320 | $47,750 | $127,320 | 4,310 | 2.78 | 1.81 |
| 33 | Georgia profile | $31.38 | $65,280 | $39,990 | $97,860 | 9,230 | 1.89 | 1.23 |
| 34 | New Mexico profile | $31.35 | $65,210 | $48,730 | $108,300 | 1,410 | 1.62 | 1.06 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania profile | $31.13 | $64,750 | $43,900 | $94,660 | 10,530 | 1.74 | 1.13 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $30.97 | $64,410 | $43,080 | $101,150 | 4,550 | 1.39 | 0.91 |
| 37 | Illinois profile | $30.73 | $63,930 | $36,390 | $101,960 | 11,270 | 1.85 | 1.20 |
| 38 | Oklahoma profile | $30.69 | $63,840 | $43,680 | $112,720 | 2,020 | 1.19 | 0.77 |
| 39 | Alabama profile | $30.29 | $63,010 | $45,770 | $97,450 | 4,330 | 2.05 | 1.33 |
| 40 | Ohio profile | $30.28 | $62,980 | $43,680 | $95,670 | 8,570 | 1.55 | 1.01 |
| 41 | Wyoming profile | $30.10 | $62,610 | $42,090 | $95,990 | 590 | 2.11 | 1.37 |
| 42 | Oregon profile | $29.86 | $62,110 | $48,050 | $101,180 | 4,420 | 2.25 | 1.46 |
| 43 | Wisconsin profile | $29.72 | $61,810 | $40,900 | $99,850 | 6,000 | 2.04 | 1.33 |
| 44 | Louisiana profile | $29.52 | $61,400 | $40,140 | $103,660 | 1,950 | 1.01 | 0.66 |
| 45 | Michigan profile | $29.23 | $60,790 | $41,600 | $93,180 | 9,240 | 2.10 | 1.37 |
| 46 | Texas profile | $29.21 | $60,770 | $43,310 | $98,570 | 25,990 | 1.85 | 1.20 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $29.15 | $60,640 | $50,880 | $79,010 | 1,270 | 2.79 | 1.82 |
| 48 | Nebraska profile | $29.06 | $60,450 | $46,690 | $92,450 | 2,050 | 2.00 | 1.30 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $28.62 | $59,540 | $36,400 | $89,700 | 1,920 | 1.65 | 1.08 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | $26.50 | $55,120 | $37,690 | $79,300 | 2,720 | 2.09 | 1.36 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $26.35 | $54,800 | $36,770 | $75,090 | 1,230 | 1.75 | 1.14 |
Part of Management Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 11-9051 Food Service Managers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 11-9051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 11-9051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.