Food Service Managers salary in the US
From the median paycheck to the top 10%, this page breaks down earnings for food service managers using American Community Survey records.
How much do food service managers earn?
Across the country, the midpoint of annual earnings for food service managers is $48,881 — 7% less than the $52,508 median for all US earners aged 25 and older. Measured against 171 occupation groups it comes 103rd, in the lower-middle part of the pay distribution. The figures come from 36,494 survey records of people aged 25 and older with earnings in this occupation.
| Position | Annual earnings |
|---|---|
| Top 10% start at | $115,442 |
| Top 25% start at | $73,321 |
| Median (top 50%) | $48,881 |
| Bottom 25% earn below | $29,831 |
How wide is the pay range?
Earnings stretch a long way above the middle. The top-quarter line is roughly $73,321, and it takes $115,442 or more — 2.4 times typical pay — to make the top 10%. A quarter of workers in the field made $29,831 or less over the year — a figure shaped by part-time and seasonal work as much as by hourly rates. Put differently, the middle earner makes 1.6× what someone at the 25th percentile does.
Earnings by age
Typical pay rises 34% between the 25–34 and 45–54 age groups, topping out at $55,622. Among those 65 and older who still work, the median is $45,686, 18% below the peak — reduced schedules explain much of that.
Men and women
Men's median earnings are $55,860 and women's are $41,979, so women's median is 25% lower. Women make up roughly 50% of the survey records here (an unweighted count, so treat it as approximate). Because these are annual totals, more part-time work in one group widens the gap; the survey doesn't adjust for that.
| Group | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| Men | $55,860 | 18,328 |
| Women | $41,979 | 18,166 |
Does education change the pay?
The spread by education is moderate — 45% between workers with a high school education or less ($42,771) and those with a professional degree ($61,944). The most common credential in the sample is a high school education or less, with 13,723 records. Thin cells (under 100 records) aren't shown.
| Education | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| High school or less | $42,771 | 13,723 |
| Some college / associate | $48,881 | 13,184 |
| Bachelor's | $60,915 | 7,740 |
| Master's | $60,915 | 1,504 |
| Professional degree | $61,944 | 217 |
| Doctorate | $50,619 | 126 |
Where the most work, and what they earn there
In terms of headcount in the survey, California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania lead the country. Among them, New York has the highest median at $53,696 and Texas the lowest at $47,730, a 12% spread. State figures aren't price-adjusted; 46 states have a large enough sample to report.
| State | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| California | $52,507 | 4,048 |
| Texas | $47,730 | 3,234 |
| Florida | $50,763 | 2,652 |
| New York | $53,696 | 1,967 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,627 | 1,395 |
Occupations with similar pay
For comparison, these jobs have medians within a few thousand dollars: clergy ($48,881), inspectors, testers and sorters ($48,881), licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses ($49,156), and truck and delivery drivers ($49,400). Each of these takes a different path in, but a typical year's earnings lands in the same range.
| Occupation | Median earnings | vs. this job |
|---|---|---|
| Clergy | $48,881 | 0% |
| Inspectors and Testers | $48,881 | 0% |
| Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses | $49,156 | +1% |
| Truck Drivers | $49,400 | +1% |
| Farmers, Ranchers | $47,730 | −2% |
About these figures
About the data: the American Community Survey asks people their occupation and earnings; we pool the 2020–2024 responses, convert them to 2024 dollars, and weight each person to represent the population. The 36,494 records for food service managers include part-time workers, so these are annual totals rather than full-time salaries.
See where your pay ranks among food service managers
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Open the calculatorSource: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) — personal earnings (PERNP) in 2024 dollars, person-weighted
Reference statistics only — not financial advice.