Food Service Manager Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Food Service Managers — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$69,390
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$33.36
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$107,640
entry level starts ~$45,960
Pay Grade
B
solid pay · 238,000 employed

How much does a Food Service Manager make?

A Food Service Manager earns a median annual salary of $69,390 in the United States, which works out to roughly $33.36 per hour for full-time work. Most Food Service Managers earn between $45,960 at the entry level and $107,640 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $56,870 and $86,800 a year.

That is $8,000 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Food Service Manager salary range by percentile

Half of all Food Service Managers earn between $56,870 and $86,800 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$45,960$22.10
25th percentile (early career)$56,870$27.34
50th percentile (median)$69,390$33.36
75th percentile (experienced)$86,800$41.73
90th percentile (top earners)$107,640$51.75

Highest-paying states for Food Service Manager

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Washington leads the country for Food Service Manager pay at $95,190 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($92,240) and Hawaii ($87,800). At the other end, West Virginia posts the lowest median at $54,800 — a gap of $40,390 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Washington$95,190$45.76+37%
2Massachusetts$92,240$44.35+33%
3Hawaii$87,800$42.21+27%
4New York$84,200$40.48+21%
5Rhode Island$82,850$39.83+19%

Workforce and education

About 238,000 people work as Food Service Managers in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $74,880 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Food Service Manager make in the United States?
The median Food Service Manager salary in the United States is $69,390 per year, or about $33.36 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $45,960, while the top 10% of earners make $107,640 or more.
How does Food Service Manager pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of B (solid pay), the Food Service Manager median of $69,390 is above the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Food Service Managers the most?
Washington is the highest-paying state for Food Service Managers, with a median salary of $95,190 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
How long does it take to become a Food Service Manager?
Becoming a Food Service Manager typically requires a high school diploma. A high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job.
How many Food Service Managers work in the United States?
About 238,000 people were employed as Food Service Managers in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.