SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages. Excludes “Chefs and Head Cooks” (35-1011).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 11-9051.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $45,960 | $3,830 | $884 | $22.09 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $56,870 | $4,739 | $1,094 | $27.34 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $69,390 | $5,782 | $1,334 | $33.36 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $86,800 | $7,233 | $1,669 | $41.73 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $107,640 | $8,970 | $2,070 | $51.75 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Food Service Managers is $69,390, which is 36% higher. Among the 37 occupations of the field Management, it ranks number 35 by median pay. With 238,430 jobs, it makes up about 15 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Food Service Managers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($95,190), Massachusetts ($92,240) and Hawaii ($87,800). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($42,230), Guam ($44,770) and West Virginia ($54,800). The most jobs were in California (33,180), Texas (25,990) and Florida (18,500). The occupation is most concentrated in Virgin Islands, where its share of all jobs is 2.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,180 | $95,190 | $101,600 | $45.77 |
| Massachusetts | 4,310 | $92,240 | $91,810 | $44.35 |
| Hawaii | 1,230 | $87,800 | $90,860 | $42.21 |
| New York | 8,000 | $84,200 | $94,250 | $40.48 |
| Rhode Island | 760 | $82,850 | $84,340 | $39.83 |
| Alaska | 380 | $82,030 | $86,640 | $39.44 |
| District of Columbia | 1,000 | $81,680 | $95,280 | $39.27 |
| Virgin Islands | 140 | $80,570 | $81,160 | $38.74 |
| Colorado | 2,440 | $79,870 | $89,350 | $38.40 |
| Minnesota | 730 | $79,820 | $82,300 | $38.38 |
| California | 33,180 | $78,260 | $84,300 | $37.63 |
| New Jersey | 6,360 | $78,020 | $85,050 | $37.51 |
| Connecticut | 1,520 | $77,990 | $80,660 | $37.50 |
| Vermont | 500 | $77,910 | $83,710 | $37.46 |
| New Hampshire | 590 | $77,360 | $83,520 | $37.19 |
| Delaware | 770 | $74,430 | $78,440 | $35.78 |
| North Carolina | 9,420 | $74,080 | $76,550 | $35.62 |
| Maryland | not published | $72,850 | $77,860 | $35.03 |
| Florida | 18,500 | $72,790 | $77,360 | $35.00 |
| North Dakota | 950 | $72,210 | $71,180 | $34.72 |
| Montana | 950 | $72,140 | $76,660 | $34.68 |
| Indiana | 4,990 | $71,430 | $72,890 | $34.34 |
| Virginia | 3,820 | $71,230 | $76,060 | $34.25 |
| Maine | 1,210 | $70,510 | $69,420 | $33.90 |
| Kentucky | 1,680 | $70,410 | $71,620 | $33.85 |
| Kansas | 1,540 | $70,320 | $74,490 | $33.81 |
| Arizona | 3,400 | $70,180 | $74,680 | $33.74 |
| Idaho | 670 | $70,140 | $73,850 | $33.72 |
| Utah | 2,400 | $69,480 | $73,880 | $33.40 |
| Iowa | 1,760 | $66,700 | $69,950 | $32.07 |
| South Carolina | 5,080 | $66,190 | $72,690 | $31.82 |
| Missouri | 1,600 | $65,520 | $71,440 | $31.50 |
| Nevada | 4,310 | $65,320 | $77,540 | $31.40 |
| Georgia | 9,230 | $65,280 | $69,610 | $31.38 |
| New Mexico | 1,410 | $65,210 | $76,610 | $31.35 |
| Pennsylvania | 10,530 | $64,750 | $69,090 | $31.13 |
| Tennessee | 4,550 | $64,410 | $71,740 | $30.97 |
| Illinois | 11,270 | $63,930 | $69,290 | $30.73 |
| Oklahoma | 2,020 | $63,840 | $74,030 | $30.69 |
| Alabama | 4,330 | $63,010 | $69,200 | $30.29 |
| Ohio | 8,570 | $62,980 | $67,400 | $30.28 |
| Wyoming | 590 | $62,610 | $65,300 | $30.10 |
| Oregon | 4,420 | $62,110 | $70,460 | $29.86 |
| Wisconsin | 6,000 | $61,810 | $68,600 | $29.72 |
| Louisiana | 1,950 | $61,400 | $67,160 | $29.52 |
| Michigan | 9,240 | $60,790 | $65,450 | $29.23 |
| Texas | 25,990 | $60,770 | $66,260 | $29.21 |
| South Dakota | 1,270 | $60,640 | $63,920 | $29.15 |
| Nebraska | 2,050 | $60,450 | $65,990 | $29.06 |
| Mississippi | 1,920 | $59,540 | $64,440 | $28.62 |
| Arkansas | 2,720 | $55,120 | $57,860 | $26.50 |
| West Virginia | 1,230 | $54,800 | $56,320 | $26.35 |
| Guam | 100 | $44,770 | $51,210 | $21.52 |
| Puerto Rico | 830 | $42,230 | $51,850 | $20.30 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Funeral Home Managers$78,790 a year
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers$69,990 a year
- Personal Service Managers, All Other$69,770 a year
- Lodging Managers$69,250 a year
- Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare$59,300 a year
Common questions
How much do Food Service Managers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $69,390 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $45,960 and the highest-paid 10% more than $107,640.
How many people work as Food Service Managers?
About 238,430 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.