As of May 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Catering Senior Manager in the United States is $38, which translates to an annual salary of about $79,043.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
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A Catering Senior 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Catering Senior 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 Catering Senior Manager | $76,481 |
| Intermediate Level Catering Senior Manager | $76,789 |
| Senior Level Catering Senior Manager | $77,813 |
| Specialist Level Catering Senior Manager | $81,027 |
| Expert Level Catering Senior Manager | $83,176 |
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 Catering Senior Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Presentation | 3.74% |
| Food Preparation | 1.65% |
| Foodservice | 0.76% |
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
|
Environmental Safety
|
$88,528 |
12%
|
|
Commitment
|
$86,157 |
9%
|
|
Outside Sales
|
$86,157 |
9%
|
|
Catering Operations
|
$84,576 |
7%
|
|
Marketing Plans
|
$83,786 |
6%
|
|
Communication Skills
|
$83,786 |
6%
|
Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Catering Senior Managers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Catering Senior Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $69,747 and $81,080).
Catering Senior Manager Salaries by Degree Level
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 20.2% |
| High School | 20.2% |
| Associates | 16.0% |
| Bachelors | 54.3% |
| Masters | 9.6% |
| Doctorate | 0.0% |
Understanding how a Catering Senior 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.
Last Updated on May 01, 2026Salaries for a Catering Senior Manager can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $69,237 in 2023 to around $68,604 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Catering Senior Manager salary trends, .
| Year | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
View More
|
| 2023 | $69,237 |
| 2024 | $69,084 |
| 2025 | $68,604 |
| 2026 |
View More
|
| 2027 |
View More
|
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Oversees all of the catering operations including booking, selecting, and pricing menu items, and acquiring and renting equipment. Monitors the preparation and service of food and refreshments. Typically requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a director. Typically manages through subordinate managers and professionals in larger groups of moderate complexity. Provides input to strategic decisions that affect the functional area of responsibility. May give input into developing the budget. Typically requires 3+ years of managerial experience. Capable of resolving escalated issues arising from operations and requiring coordination with other departments.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Presentation: Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
Food Preparation: The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to food preparation: Food preparation – art form and applied science that includes but is not limited to cooking.
Foodservice: The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.
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.
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