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First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers: Job Description

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.

The Daily Work of First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Perform?

The core tasks performed by first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers include:

  • Resolve customer complaints regarding food service.
  • Train workers in food preparation, and in service, sanitation, and safety procedures.
  • Assign duties, responsibilities, and work stations to employees in accordance with work requirements.
  • Present bills and accept payments.
  • Perform various financial activities, such as cash handling, deposit preparation, and payroll.
  • Supervise and participate in kitchen and dining area cleaning activities.
  • Recommend measures for improving work procedures and worker performance to increase service quality and enhance job safety.
  • Specify food portions and courses, production and time sequences, and workstation and equipment arrangements.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Management of Personnel Resources  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.9 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.9 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.9 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.8 / 5
0
5
Instructing  3.8 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service  4.1 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.6 / 5
0
5
Food Production  3.5 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.5 / 5
0
5
Production and Processing  3.3 / 5
0
5
Sales and Marketing  3.3 / 5
0
5

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Banquet Captain
  • Banquet Supervisor
  • Bar Manager
  • Bartender Manager
  • Cafeteria Manager
  • Cafeteria Supervisor
  • Canteen Manager
  • Cocktail Lounge Manager

How Many First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Are There?

The U.S. employs around 817,258 first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.6% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $37,104
Hourly median $17.84
10th percentile $25,588
25th percentile $31,346
75th percentile $42,862
90th percentile $48,620

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salary by State

State Annual median salary
District of Columbia $56,350
Washington $49,850
Hawaii $49,820
Connecticut $49,480
Rhode Island $49,000
Delaware $48,700
New Jersey $48,210
Colorado $47,920
Vermont $47,650
Maine $47,600
New Hampshire $47,460
Alaska $47,010
New York $46,680
Massachusetts $46,630
California $46,140
Virginia $45,440
Minnesota $45,350
Oregon $44,850
North Dakota $44,030
North Carolina $43,860
Virgin Islands $43,440
Maryland $42,920
Arizona $42,790
Montana $42,050
Florida $41,980
South Dakota $40,070
Nevada $39,700
New Mexico $39,670
Illinois $39,080
Pennsylvania $38,980
South Carolina $38,950
Indiana $38,860
Wisconsin $38,700
Iowa $38,320
Nebraska $38,170
Utah $38,070
Michigan $37,960
Tennessee $37,960
Kansas $37,910
Idaho $37,840
Georgia $37,360
Wyoming $37,260
Missouri $36,990
Ohio $36,900
Texas $36,650
Alabama $35,940
Louisiana $35,640
Kentucky $35,060
Oklahoma $34,950
Mississippi $34,230
Arkansas $31,950
West Virginia $30,500
Puerto Rico $27,930
Guam $27,460

Pay by U.S. Region

Earnings for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
New England $47,626 3.9% 0.82
Far Western US $46,107 15.4% 0.93
Middle Atlantic $44,645 12.6% 0.83
Rocky Mountains $43,336 4.4% 1.11
Plains States $39,950 6.4% 0.93
Southeast $39,371 28.0% 1.15
Great Lakes $38,172 14.4% 1.02
Southwest $37,424 14.4% 1.15

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Kahului-Wailuku, HI HI $55,780 900
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA WA $55,730 11,900
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $55,210 5,510
Boulder, CO CO $52,570 1,570
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA WA $50,940 430
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CO $50,540 13,770
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ NJ $50,240 1,980
New Haven, CT CT $49,880 1,730

Top Industries Employing First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

The bulk of first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers are concentrated in the following sectors:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Accommodation and Food Services 1,010,610 $39,520
Retail Trade 45,240 $45,740
Educational Services 37,970 $45,070
Health Care and Social Assistance 35,220 $51,080
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 20,570 $48,530
Manufacturing 8,410 $47,280
Other Services (except Public Administration) 6,400 $39,810
Management of Companies and Enterprises 3,130 $51,350
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers industries

Software First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Use

  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

Work Environment

Daily working conditions for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • Telephone Conversations
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Contact With Others
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
  • Physical Proximity

Education and Training

Entry-level first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Degree Programs

Students preparing for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers commonly pursue programs in:

Personal and Culinary Services

4 programs across 1 majors

Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences

1 programs across 1 majors

References

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 35-1012.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers).

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