Know your market value with insights across roles — from individual contributors to executive pay and overall company compensation trends.
Access a suite of powerful calculators to make data-driven career decisions.
Automate pay cycles, manage job architectures, and ensure pay equity with AI-powered compensation platforms.
Access validated salary benchmarks, labor market trends, and minimum wage data to stay competitive.
Participate in and purchase industry-specific salary surveys to obtain the most accurate, peer-reported pay data.
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Event Catering Manager in Iowa is $50,100 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $24.
However, an Event Catering Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
Recruit with AI
AI-Powered HR
Event Catering Manager Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $57,800 | $4,817 | $1,112 | $28 |
| Average | $50,100 | $4,175 | $963 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,100 | $3,675 | $848 | $21 |
Boyd Gaming - Northwood, IA
Famous Daves - West Des Moines, IA
Levy Restaurants - Ames, IA
Panera - Ankeny, IA
An Event Catering Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of an Event Catering Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Event Catering Manager | $47,897 |
| Intermediate Level Event Catering Manager | $48,167 |
| Senior Level Event Catering Manager | $49,967 |
| Specialist Level Event Catering Manager | $52,089 |
| Expert Level Event Catering Manager | $53,004 |
What Am I Worth?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Event Catering Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
Event Catering Manager salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $54,657. While startup companies pay approximate $46,112.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $46,112 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $48,807 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $52,754 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $54,657 |
Understanding how an Event Catering Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $57,800 | $4,817 | $1,112 | $28 |
| Average | $50,100 | $4,175 | $963 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,100 | $3,675 | $848 | $21 |
For an Event Catering Manager, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Director of Catering Operations role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $75,700 - a projected growth of 51% over your current level.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Event Catering Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Panera
Sioux City, IA
Panera | Sioux City, IA
Catering Lead At Panera. At Panera, our people come first. If you're looking for a place where you can grow, feel supported, be yourself, enjoy great perks... more
3 Days Ago
Panera Bread
Johnston, IA
Panera Bread | Johnston, IA
Panera Bread - 5525 Merle Hay Road, Suite 100 - Responsibilities: Taking and confirming catering orders. Coordinating preparation and packaging. Delivering... more
4 Days Ago
Panera Bread
Cedar Falls, IA
Panera Bread | Cedar Falls, IA
Panera Bread - 6403 University Avenue - Responsibilities: Take and confirm catering orders. Coordinate preparation and packaging of catering orders. Delive... more
4 Days Ago
Panera Bread
Ames, IA
Panera Bread | Ames, IA
Panera Bread - 309 South Duff Avenue - Responsibilities: Taking and confirming catering orders. Coordinating preparation and packaging. Delivering orders w... more
4 Days Ago
Panera Bread
Dubuque, IA
Panera Bread | Dubuque, IA
Panera Bread - 3243 Kennedy Circle - Responsibilities: Taking and confirming catering orders. Coordinating preparation and packaging. Delivering orders wit... more
4 Days Ago
Panera Bread
Waterloo, IA
Panera Bread | Waterloo, IA
Panera Bread - 1818 LaPorte Road - Responsibilities: Taking and confirming catering orders. Coordinating preparation and packaging. Delivering orders with ... more
4 Days Ago
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
Explore Cost of Living CalculatorSalary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.
Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
