Food Service Managers
Also called: F and B Manager (Food and Beverage Manager), Food Service Director, Food Service Manager, Restaurant ManagerPlan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 18 of its 28 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 5.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 10.1 hires for every 10 job openings in accommodation and food services, which employs about 85% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.10.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,010 | $57,080 to $79,000 | 4,330 |
| Alaska | $82,030 | $63,390 to $105,530 | 380 |
| Arizona | $70,180 | $60,500 to $85,770 | 3,400 |
| Arkansas | $55,120 | $45,590 to $63,160 | 2,720 |
| California | $78,260 | $60,040 to $100,190 | 33,180 |
| Colorado | $79,870 | $68,750 to $99,480 | 2,440 |
| Connecticut | $77,990 | $62,400 to $92,100 | 1,520 |
| Delaware | $74,430 | $65,560 to $80,990 | 770 |
| District of Columbia | $81,680 | $74,250 to $105,760 | 1,000 |
| Florida | $72,790 | $59,010 to $91,480 | 18,500 |
| Georgia | $65,280 | $55,240 to $79,730 | 9,230 |
| Guam | $44,770 | $39,950 to $56,820 | 100 |
| Hawaii | $87,800 | $61,660 to $104,570 | 1,230 |
| Idaho | $70,140 | $55,000 to $92,630 | 670 |
| Illinois | $63,930 | $52,250 to $79,850 | 11,270 |
| Indiana | $71,430 | $55,640 to $88,020 | 4,990 |
| Iowa | $66,700 | $52,850 to $77,860 | 1,760 |
| Kansas | $70,320 | $56,260 to $86,190 | 1,540 |
| Kentucky | $70,410 | $58,890 to $81,440 | 1,680 |
| Louisiana | $61,400 | $46,960 to $77,990 | 1,950 |
| Maine | $70,510 | $54,010 to $78,140 | 1,210 |
| Maryland | $72,850 | $61,430 to $82,280 | not published |
| Massachusetts | $92,240 | $73,430 to $102,920 | 4,310 |
| Michigan | $60,790 | $51,450 to $75,740 | 9,240 |
| Minnesota | $79,820 | $64,320 to $95,190 | 730 |
| Mississippi | $59,540 | $47,110 to $71,650 | 1,920 |
| Missouri | $65,520 | $60,010 to $79,020 | 1,600 |
| Montana | $72,140 | $59,460 to $95,720 | 950 |
| Nebraska | $60,450 | $57,050 to $70,300 | 2,050 |
| Nevada | $65,320 | $60,640 to $81,720 | 4,310 |
| New Hampshire | $77,360 | $67,640 to $93,550 | 590 |
| New Jersey | $78,020 | $62,810 to $101,070 | 6,360 |
| New Mexico | $65,210 | $58,240 to $93,620 | 1,410 |
| New York | $84,200 | $72,420 to $104,800 | 8,000 |
| North Carolina | $74,080 | $59,790 to $91,080 | 9,420 |
| North Dakota | $72,210 | $50,210 to $88,110 | 950 |
| Ohio | $62,980 | $54,990 to $76,400 | 8,570 |
| Oklahoma | $63,840 | $55,120 to $90,230 | 2,020 |
| Oregon | $62,110 | $54,990 to $77,210 | 4,420 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,750 | $55,690 to $78,220 | 10,530 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,230 | $37,690 to $59,740 | 830 |
| Rhode Island | $82,850 | $63,470 to $95,260 | 760 |
| South Carolina | $66,190 | $54,910 to $83,830 | 5,080 |
| South Dakota | $60,640 | $56,920 to $73,210 | 1,270 |
| Tennessee | $64,410 | $57,200 to $80,060 | 4,550 |
| Texas | $60,770 | $48,750 to $75,800 | 25,990 |
| Utah | $69,480 | $56,700 to $93,000 | 2,400 |
| Vermont | $77,910 | $64,850 to $98,940 | 500 |
| Virgin Islands | $80,570 | $76,930 to $80,690 | 140 |
| Virginia | $71,230 | $60,610 to $83,110 | 3,820 |
| Washington | $95,190 | $79,410 to $111,050 | 1,180 |
| West Virginia | $54,800 | $46,140 to $64,320 | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $61,810 | $48,260 to $79,270 | 6,000 |
| Wyoming | $62,610 | $48,690 to $76,150 | 590 |
Nationally: $69,390. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 18 of its 28 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service. | Not published |
| AI alone | Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform some food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records. | Not published |
| AI alone | Review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety. | 0.05% |
See all 28 tasks
| AI + software | Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and serving, and building maintenance in lodging and dining facilities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Order and purchase equipment and supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Count money and make bank deposits. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule staff hours and assign duties. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Arrange for equipment maintenance and repairs, and coordinate a variety of services, such as waste removal and pest control. | Not published |
| AI + software | Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption to anticipate amounts to be purchased or requisitioned. | Not published |
| Not much | Organize and direct worker training programs, resolve personnel problems, hire new staff, and evaluate employee performance in dining and lodging facilities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Monitor budgets and payroll records, and review financial transactions to ensure that expenditures are authorized and budgeted. | Not published |
| AI + software | Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner. | Not published |
| Not much | Test cooked food by tasting and smelling it to ensure palatability and flavor conformity. | Not published |
| AI + software | Coordinate assignments of cooking personnel to ensure economical use of food and timely preparation. | Not published |
| Not much | Assess staffing needs and recruit staff, using methods such as newspaper advertisements or attendance at job fairs. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Review menus and analyze recipes to determine labor and overhead costs, and assign prices to menu items. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record the number, type, and cost of items sold to determine which items may be unpopular or less profitable. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan menus and food utilization, based on anticipated number of guests, nutritional value, palatability, popularity, and costs. | Not published |
| AI alone | Create specialty dishes and develop recipes to be used in dining facilities. | 0.08% |
| AI alone | Establish and enforce nutritional standards for dining establishments, based on accepted industry standards. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule use of facilities or catering services for events such as banquets or receptions, and negotiate details of arrangements with clients. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Greet guests, escort them to their seats, and present them with menus and wine lists. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor employee and patron activities to ensure liquor regulations are obeyed. | Not published |
| AI alone | Take dining reservations. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 28 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 28 tasks fall under 28 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #19 Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Determine resource needs of projects or operations | |||
| Analyze data to improve operations | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Prepare schedules for services or facilities | |||
| Evaluate production inputs or outputs | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers |
Show all 28 activities
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Develop recipes or menus | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Prepare legal or regulatory documents | |||
| Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Negotiate contracts or agreements | |||
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Manage human resources activities | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A recipe or meal plan56%
- A document or report9%
- A plan or strategy9%
- Advice or a recommendation7%
- An analysis or summary4%
How they worked with Claude
34% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for food service managers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 637,198 moves out
- 1 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 8%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 5%
- 4 Chefs and Head Cooks Moderate +6.6% 4%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 491,958 moves in
- 1 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 5%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 5%
- 3 Chefs and Head Cooks Moderate +6.6% 5%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 16% less than high school
- 30% high school
- 21% postsecondary certificate
- 5% some college
- 19% associate's
- 10% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 36 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 9% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 25% some college
- 10% associate's
- 19% bachelor's
- 3% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 8,595 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
10 programs, such as Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager, Culinary Science/Culinology and Wine Steward/Sommelier.
See all
- Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager
- Culinary Science/Culinology
- Wine Steward/Sommelier
- Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General
- Hotel/Motel Administration/Management
- Restaurant/Food Services Management
- Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management
- Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management
- Hospitality Administration/Management, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
68.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 0.7% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 10.4% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 2.0% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (MANAGER, FOOD SERVICE; Restaurant Manager (Existing Title: Manager, Food Service)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Food Service Managers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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