A passion for food brings enormous satisfaction to those who find their niche in the food services industry. But which direction should you take to realize your dreams, and what pay ranges are possible? These are important questions to ask yourself if you are listening to your heart.
If you've decided that a full-time or part-time career as a food service worker is your goal, there are a variety of promising job types that you can pursue. Your long-term passion for food should be weighed against your ambition to make money, because the highest full-time salaries are in management.
Unless you aspire to become a Michelin-starred chef that’s globally recognized for your restaurants, recipe books, or TV shows, management offers the best incomes in this industry.
Continue reading to discover the best-paying jobs in food services.
Regional Operations Manager
Regional operations managers are typically in charge of several hotel and restaurant food managers. Alternatively, regional operations managers can oversee a group of restaurants or head up operations for companies in health, education, and other industries.
Managing a large staff of food service workers takes considerable skill and previous experience. Management abilities head the top of the list in this position, as broad control is required without stooping to micromanagement tactics. At this level in the industry, no one has the time to micromanage, as the broader picture demands attention at the top.
Emotional intelligence combined with superior management skills may eventually get you to the pinnacle of the food services industry. Having a postgraduate degree in hospitality will also support your chances of getting to the top.
Even with good higher education, plus exceptional people and leadership skills, you will face competition from the best to nab a regional operations management job posting. When you do, salary expectations are high, with earnings ranging anywhere between $200,000 and $500,000. In contrast, food service managers’ annual mean wages were reflected as $79,240 by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of 2019.
How much you earn will depend on the size of the operations under your leadership. To stand a chance at applying for this high-level position, you will need several years of experience under your belt to prove that you are capable of succeeding.
Food and Beverage Director
Food and beverage (F&B) directors in most industries will report to a general hotel manager, depending on the size of the organization and the hierarchical structure of the company. When employed by a major hotel, healthcare facility, or any other group with turnovers in the millions, these full-time leaders will demand incomes averaging between $100,000 and $250,000 a year.
Higher salaries are obviously associated with the size of the hotel, health or education organization, or other industry group requiring food services management, so it will depend on the economic strength of the employer.
To earn this type of income, F&B directors will oversee top-end establishments. Staff components in large corporate hotel groups can be significant, with middle management also overseeing their own team members.
Typical management staff reporting to the F&B director in a large hotel group will include:
Dining room managers
Beverage managers
Banquet or events managers
Executive chefs
F&B managers
F&B directors manage massive budgets, food service workers, suppliers, trends, and sourcing the finest wines available. Like the regional operations managers, F&B directors in prime establishments must possess exceptional people and communication skills. Only individuals who also have extensive experience in the financial field, along with a deep insight into marketing, will be considered for this type of position.
Only years of background knowledge and experience working in the hospitality industry will set you up to be considered for this top job. Throw in a postgraduate degree in hospitality or restaurant management and you will still be competing against decades of knowledge to vie for one of the best-paying jobs in food services. Get started on the road to becoming an F&B director by first learning more about what it takes to get there.
Catering Sales Representative
As the food services industry expands, so do the job titles. Good catering sales representatives can make excellent money by catering food and beverages for conventions, as well as through catering sales for the hospitality industry.
Major groups require additional catering services, and when alcohol forms a high portion of sales, there is often good money to be made. When professional full-time catering reps organize large events for clients, they can bring home salaries ranging from $100,000 to $150,000.
Catering sales reps build extensive networks of clients, ranging from hotels to restaurants and other establishments, to attract business. They engage in extensive relationship building — employing a variety of sales strategies to hone their skills. Typical sales techniques comprise outreach in the F&B industry, prospecting for new customers, and attending events to attract more customers.
Working for large corporations or for themselves, catering sales reps can earn solid salaries and percentages on major convention and conference sales. Earnings rely on specific job descriptions or employment contracts. Group management and hospitality services are provided throughout the duration of a conference. Services delivered by these ambitious professionals include everything from coordination with the planner to overseeing technical equipment for the conference and providing oversight of food preparation.
What skills are required for this type of position? Experience serving food and beverages, sales experience, a hospitality degree, and a postgraduate management degree are recommended as a catering sales representative. These professionals work with people all the time, so excellent people management skills are also vital.
Executive Chef
The executive chef, or the chef de cuisine, holds the highest position in the kitchen. Working long hours daily and often over weekends, these individuals take on enormous responsibilities. They manage the entire kitchen work environment, including employees, menu creation, inventory purchases, food production, plating, and budgets.
Salaries in this position are comparable to that of general managers, with executive chefs often commanding higher salaries. For instance, head or executive chef incomes range from a median of over $91,770 per year in urban Honolulu and $63,180 in the New York metro area. Lower reported median incomes for this profession are reported at around $62,000 by the BLS. Salaries depend on the location, the financial strength of a company, and size of the employer, which is apparent when searching for job positions in this and other sectors.
Culinary training at a special institution is desirable to be appointed to this position, in addition to food safety training and American Culinary Federation certification. On-the-job training and management experience are also required to excel in this job. As with most food service jobs, people and management skills are desirable to fill this position. With hard work, you can improve your chances of rising through the ranks from line cook to sous-chef to head chef, and finally to the executive chef positions, one of the best-paying jobs in food services.
Business Owner in Food Services
If you are business-savvy, you might aspire to be the owner of a bar, restaurant, or hotel. Experience in food services, a management degree, or a qualification in this field will support your ambition to become a business owner. If this is the case, your earnings are or will be largely under your control — barring unexpected events like the COVID-19 shutdown and economic recessions, of course.
Even if business ownership is a long-term goal, valuable experience in the F&B industry is advisable to support your vision. Because the food services industry is so competitive, starting your own business as soon as you get your bachelor’s degree is inadvisable. Rather, begin your career as a food service worker, a bartender, or a barista while studying and apply for a permanent position as a food service associate or manager after you graduate.
Setting a strong foundation to launch a business will require background knowledge and personable qualities. Management acumen, marketing insight, leadership, and communication aptitudes are required throughout the hospitality field.
Negotiation skills to deal with a variety of stakeholders is necessary, as you will probably need to raise investments to finance your dream. Build a brand, and the aspirant business owner will likely gain access to the best-paying jobs in food services. Until then, brush up on your interview skills to prepare yourself for a new career.
Culinary Operations Director
A culinary operations director will manage culinary programs, including menus, staffing, staff training in cooking techniques, and food preparation. Management of employees, team building, and productivity also form essential parts of this role. Preparation, ordering food items, kitchen operation supervision, and working with dietitians and food trend experts all go into forming a comprehensive role.
The culinary operations director is also expected to fill in for staff members in their absence. This role is as challenging as any of the best-paying jobs in food services. If you are a foodie who enjoys working with people, you might want to set your sights on being a culinary operations director.
Median salaries range from $152,078 to $265,000, making this a lucrative career path. Engage in higher learning, obtain front-of-house and back-of-house experience, and build your people, communication, and leadership capabilities to prepare yourself for this journey.
Be on the lookout for corporate management training programs to continue your career after graduating from college. Participate in employer cooking competitions judged by the best in the industry. Make yourself available for years of continuous learning and the opportunity to prove yourself will eventually come.
Aspire to Get a High-Paying Job as a Food Service Worker
Hard work, determination, and the will to do your best can drive lofty ambitions. Aim for the best-paying full-time and part-time food service jobs in the foodservice industry by starting where you are now and building on that.
Begin working on your resume by learning what mistakes to avoid as a jobseeker. Learn appropriate leadership styles for a future high-paying position as a food service worker. Consider improving your education beyond your high school diploma or bachelor’s degree to increase opportunities for advancement in this dynamic industry. And don’t forget to take advantage of many other valuable resources on Joblist, including getting your career on track with personalized job searches and job alerts.
