How Much Is a Catering Manager's Salary?

Banquet and catering managers have similar roles at hotels, restaurants, event spaces and other venues. Their role is to plan, direct and coordinate large and small-scale events including social and business events, weddings, anniversaries, graduations and other special occasions. According to Salary.com, banquet manager duties include negotiating contracts, assisting in menu selection, scheduling staff, arranging for equipment, and communicating customer needs to the appropriate personnel.

Catering Manager Salary

While salaries vary based on location as with most jobs, with benefits (including bonuses that average 4%), as well as social security, retirement, disability, health care, pension and time off, the total median compensation and salary for banquet managers in the U.S. is between $39,973–$55,902 according to Salary.com.

It's worth noting that banquet and catering manager positions usually require a bachelor's degree and two to five years of relevant experience and those holding this position typically report to a supervisor or manager.

Other Catering-Related Positions

Catering Director

With four to six years of experience under their belt, catering managers can move on to the next career level, that of catering director. The average base salary for a catering director is between $38,000 to $90,000 a year, with the median salary clocking in at $58,000, according to payscale.com.

Catering Coordinator

Even the entry-level position in the field (catering coordinator) is not very low-level, either in experience or compensation. Catering coordinators are expected to know just about as much about catering as their supervisors, according to Salary.com.

Like catering managers, catering coordinators typically possess two-to-four years of relevant experience before stepping into the job. The average base salary is slightly lower (between $30,988–$44,111 a year) but it's still a decent living wage. And, while catering coordinators don't usually earn a bonus, their total compensation package totals about $53,000 annually.

Gaining Experience in Food Service Jobs

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics includes catering managers as part of the chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors job classifications. For those who want to pursue a career as a catering manager, securing one of the many related jobs in the food service industry is an excellent way to gain that necessary "relevant experience."