What Is the Average Salary for Someone in Culinary Management?
Would you like to oversee a restaurant and help ensure that it serves quality meals? Culinary managers make sure that a food service establishment operates efficiently. Read on to learn what you could earn working in this field, as well as the factors that affect your salary.
Job Description
Culinary management (also known as food service management) involves the maintenance and running of a restaurant or food service organization. If you become a culinary manager, you'll be involved in a variety of tasks, including ordering and organizing food supplies, overseeing employees, interacting with restaurant patrons, completing general accounting duties and assisting in the dining area and kitchen.
Important Facts About Culinary Management
| Required Education | High school diploma, or equivalent; but, post-secondary degree is preferred |
| Professional Certification | Not required; the Food Protection Managers Certification (FPMC) is provided by the American National Standards Institute |
| Key Skills | Organization, attention to detail, critical thinking, observation, time management, good judgment and decision making, management, reading comprehension |
| Similar Occupations | Bartender, chef, head cooks, lodging manager, sales manager, waiter and waitress |
Salary Overview
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean yearly salary of food service managers was $63,970 as of May 2021 (www.bls.gov). The 10% of managers with the lowest pay earned $36,630 a year or less, while the 10% with the highest pay made $98,070 a year or more. Several factors determine how much you'll make as a culinary manager, including your location, the industry that you work in and your job experience.
Salary by Location
Based on January 2023 figures from PayScale.com, food service managers who worked in Los Angeles, California, made 30.7% more than the national average. According to the BLS, managers in Washington, New Jersey, the District of Columbia earned the highest average salaries compared to other states in May 2021. These three states had mean wages of $86,100, $78,840, and $78,630, respectively.
Salary by Industry
Your choice of employer may also impact your salary. According to the BLS, most food service managers were employed at restaurants and other eating places. These workers earned a mean annual salary of $61,220. Those working for special food services made an average wage of $73,760, while those working for management of companies and enterprises averaged $73,280. The highest-paying industry for food service managers was outpatient care centers, according to the BLS, with workers earning a mean wage of $99,840 yearly in May 2021.
Salary by Experience
PayScale.com reported that food service managers with 1-4 years of experience earned a median of roughly $48,768 per year as of January 2023. Those with 5-19 years of experience earned a median yearly wage between $48,567 and $51,920. Managers with over 20 years of food service management experience earned a median salary of roughly $52,348.
Job Outlook
The BLS expects there will be approximately ten percent growth in food service manager employment over the 2021-2031 decade. Population and income growth are expected to increase the need for managers. You may have better prospects with significant experience in the industry. A bachelor's degree in a related field may also be useful, especially if you want to work for an upscale restaurant.