The median annual wage for food service managers was $48,690 in May 2015. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,780, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,010.

Most food service managers work full time. Managers at some restaurants, such as fine-dining and fast-food restaurants, often work long shifts, and some of these managers work more than 40 hours per week. Managers of institutional food service facilities in schools, factories, or office buildings usually work traditional business hours. Those who oversee multiple locations of a chain or franchise may be called in on short notice, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.