What are the main factors that influence a Catering Director's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Catering Director's salary?

A Catering Director's salary grows with experience: starting around $76,306 for beginners, reaching about $77,634 at mid-level, and approach $82,985 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Catering Director?

Catering Director salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Catering Director roles are District of Columbia $88,228, California $87,894, Massachusetts $86,722. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Catering Director roles make?

Salaries for Catering Director level roles vary by specialization: Catering Sales Director: $193,441; Director Of Catering Sales: $190,921; Director Of Catering: $80,730; Director of Catering and Convention Services: $79,127; Director of Catering Operations: $79,100.

How do different companies affect a Catering Director's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Catering Director roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Catering Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Catering Director make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Catering Director in the United States is $79,686 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, a Catering Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $101,114
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,625 to $90,902
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,197

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Catering Director Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,902	$7,575	$1,748	$44
Average	$79,686	$6,640	$1,532	$38
25th Percentile	$72,625	$6,052	$1,397	$35

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Check out Catering Director Job Openings in the United States

Director of Catering

Makeready - Columbus, OH

Catering Director - Resort

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions - Sandusky, OH

Director of Catering Sales

Chick-fil-A - Hilliard, OH

Assistant Catering Director

Chick-fil-A Grandview Yard - Columbus, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Catering Director Salaries

A Catering Director'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.

How Experience Level Affects Catering Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Catering Director'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $76,306
Early Career (1-2 years): $76,612
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $77,634
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $80,841
Expert (over 8 years): $82,985

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Catering Director	$76,306
Intermediate Level Catering Director	$76,612
Senior Level Catering Director	$77,634
Specialist Level Catering Director	$80,841
Expert Level Catering Director	$82,985

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Catering Director Salaries Vary from State to State?

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 Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $88,228.
California: $87,894.
Massachusetts: $86,722.

District of Columbia $88,228 California $87,894 Massachusetts $86,722 Washington $86,403 New Jersey $86,372 Alaska $86,260 Connecticut $85,160 New York $84,714

Hawaii $83,288 Rhode Island $82,618 Maryland $82,164 Minnesota $81,543 Colorado $81,304 Illinois $81,224 Oregon $80,921 Delaware $80,698

New Hampshire $80,558 Virginia $80,244 Pennsylvania $79,327 Nevada $78,865 North Dakota $78,714 Michigan $78,475 Wisconsin $78,387 Vermont $78,212

Texas $77,726 Maine $77,694 Arizona $77,646 Ohio $77,590 Georgia $76,857 Indiana $76,490 Wyoming $76,419 Utah $76,307

Iowa $76,259 Kansas $75,877 Louisiana $75,765 North Carolina $75,726 Missouri $75,710 Florida $75,399 Montana $75,231 Nebraska $75,072

Kentucky $74,984 South Carolina $74,666 Tennessee $74,466 Idaho $74,387 New Mexico $73,805 Oklahoma $73,678 Alabama $73,207 South Dakota $72,419

Arkansas $71,988 West Virginia $71,757 Mississippi $71,064

Top Paying Cities for Catering Directors

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:

San Jose: $100,508
San Francisco: $99,407
Oakland: $97,312

San Jose, CA $100,508

San Francisco, CA $99,407

Oakland, CA $97,312

New York, NY $91,750

Paramus, NJ $90,634

Queens Village, NY $90,630

Passaic, NJ $90,554

Bergenfield, NJ $90,547

Stamford, CT $90,372

Huntington, NY $90,339

Newark, NJ $89,750

Bridgeport, CT $89,582

Vallejo, CA $89,424

New Brunswick, NJ $89,392

Petaluma, CA $89,344

Middlesex, NJ $89,192

Somerset, NJ $89,137

Santa Cruz, CA $89,033

Boston, MA $88,547

Monterey, CA $88,267

Seattle, WA $88,085

Santa Rosa, CA $88,069

Los Angeles, CA $88,045

Juneau, AK $87,838

Washington, DC $87,750

Orange, CA $87,466

Santa Ana, CA $87,256

Long Beach, CA $87,176

Anaheim, CA $87,160

Anchorage, AK $87,121

Santa Maria, CA $86,882

Everett, WA $86,866

Danbury, CT $86,585

Bremerton, WA $86,475

Tacoma, WA $86,188

New Suffolk, NY $86,187

Sacramento, CA $86,164

Santa Barbara, CA $86,077

Trenton, NJ $85,989

San Diego, CA $85,989

Brockton, MA $85,901

Fairbanks, AK $85,706

Lompoc, CA $85,503

Lowell, MA $85,438

Ventura, CA $85,423

Nashua, NH $85,407

Stockton, CA $85,399

Modesto, CA $84,818

Poughkeepsie, NY $84,642

Olympia, WA $84,491

Kennewick, WA $84,491

New Haven, CT $84,459

Lawrence, MA $84,172

Hartford, CT $84,093

Riverside, CA $84,077

New Bedford, MA $83,997

Richland, WA $83,997

Bakersfield, CA $83,885

San Bernardino, CA $83,853

New Britain, CT $83,846

Atlantic City, NJ $83,846

New London, CT $83,814

Norwich, CT $83,790

Portsmouth, NH $83,774

Boulder, CO $83,605

Portland, OR $83,495

Worcester, MA $83,487

Minneapolis, MN $83,240

Philadelphia, PA $83,128

Honolulu, HI $82,865

Saint Paul, MN $82,827

Vineland, NJ $82,810

Providence, RI $82,578

Chicago, IL $82,347

Bellingham, WA $82,252

Springfield, MA $82,188

Baltimore, MD $82,164

Chico, CA $81,965

Pittsfield, MA $81,750

Manchester, NH $81,598

Spokane, WA $81,248

Denver, CO $81,240

Albany, NY $80,865

Troy, NY $80,833

Nassau, NY $80,748

Schenectady, NY $80,666

Wilmington, DE $80,602

Burlington, VT $80,491

Salem, OR $80,459

Portland, ME $80,212

Yakima, WA $80,132

Rochester, MN $79,885

Reno, NV $79,845

Fresno, CA $79,845

Milwaukee, WI $79,774

Detroit, MI $79,694

Ann Arbor, MI $79,680

Allentown, PA $79,670

Colorado Springs, CO $79,534

Syracuse, NY $79,495

Carson City, NV $79,495

Houston, TX $79,383

Eugene, OR $79,343

Gary, IN $79,248

Springfield, OR $79,184

Bismarck, ND $79,168

Galveston, TX $79,112

Medford, OR $78,993

Fort Collins, CO $78,961

Concord, NH $78,921

Austin, TX $78,897

Mesa, AZ $78,730

Reading, PA $78,722

Phoenix, AZ $78,714

Dallas, TX $78,690

Saint Cloud, MN $78,613

Madison, WI $78,507

Utica, NY $78,291

Rochester, NY $78,164

Des Moines, IA $78,156

Raleigh, NC $78,148

Atlanta, GA $78,028

Battle Creek, MI $78,005

Salt Lake City, UT $77,981

Lancaster, PA $77,861

Harrisburg, PA $77,750

Kansas City, MO $77,670

Champaign, IL $77,654

Kansas City, KS $77,654

Fort Worth, TX $77,646

Columbus, OH $77,632

Boca Raton, FL $77,614

Pittsburgh, PA $77,582

Richmond, VA $77,550

Indianapolis, IN $77,534

Cleveland, OH $77,526

Las Vegas, NV $77,431

Cincinnati, OH $77,431

Petersburg, VA $77,311

Huntsville, AL $77,192

Lansing, MI $77,138

Lebanon, PA $77,128

Pueblo, CO $77,120

Appleton, WI $77,096

Buffalo, NY $77,064

Dayton, OH $77,040

Racine, WI $77,024

Charlotte, NC $77,016

Saint Louis, MO $76,993

York, PA $76,945

Elkhart, IN $76,945

Gastonia, NC $76,930

Billings, MT $76,910

Beaumont, TX $76,889

Lorain, OH $76,873

Benton Harbor, MI $76,857

Toledo, OH $76,841

Binghamton, NY $76,801

Rock Hill, SC $76,793

Rockford, IL $76,753

Springfield, IL $76,722

Elyria, OH $76,714

Fargo, ND $76,714

Flagstaff, AZ $76,658

Fort Lauderdale, FL $76,610

Duluth, MN $76,562

Miami, FL $76,562

Cheyenne, WY $76,506

Grand Forks, ND $76,506

Bangor, ME $76,331

Cedar Rapids, IA $76,243

Durham, NC $76,210

Louisville, KY $76,204

Grand Rapids, MI $76,188

Hialeah, FL $76,180

Casper, WY $76,068

Scranton, PA $75,973

New Orleans, LA $75,949

Virginia Beach, VA $75,941

Akron, OH $75,901

Peoria, IL $75,797

Sarasota, FL $75,781

Nashville, TN $75,726

Omaha, NE $75,726

Green Bay, WI $75,726

Baton Rouge, LA $75,686

Charleston, SC $75,670

Jamestown, NY $75,630

Davenport, IA $75,630

Tucson, AZ $75,590

Saint Petersburg, FL $75,542

Tampa, FL $75,526

Evansville, IN $75,478

Port Arthur, TX $75,478

Bradenton, FL $75,447

Santa Fe, NM $75,303

Orlando, FL $75,160

Clearwater, FL $75,136

Canton, OH $74,968

La Crosse, WI $74,968

Albuquerque, NM $74,921

Newport News, VA $74,913

High Point, NC $74,889

Ogden, UT $74,857

Corpus Christi, TX $74,793

Norfolk, VA $74,745

Laramie, WY $74,745

Rock Island, IL $74,698

Saginaw, MI $74,682

Jacksonville, FL $74,674

Salisbury, NC $74,658

Boise, ID $74,642

Moline, IL $74,602

Fort Myers, FL $74,578

Memphis, TN $74,562

Tulsa, OK $74,522

Waterloo, IA $74,474

Spartanburg, SC $74,395

Lincoln, NE $74,355

Fort Wayne, IN $74,339

Provo, UT $74,331

Cedar Falls, IA $74,235

San Antonio, TX $74,204

Greensboro, NC $74,172

South Bend, IN $74,164

Savannah, GA $74,076

Muskegon, MI $74,044

Birmingham, AL $74,036

Winston Salem, NC $73,997

Lake Charles, LA $73,805

Anderson, IN $73,789

Lexington, KY $73,765

Augusta, GA $73,741

Greenville, SC $73,741

Lima, OH $73,678

Wichita, KS $73,670

Tuscaloosa, AL $73,670

Columbia, SC $73,598

Springfield, OH $73,582

Asheville, NC $73,454

Bloomington, IN $73,399

Knoxville, TN $73,112

Shreveport, LA $73,104

Wilmington, NC $73,000

Roanoke, VA $73,000

Topeka, KS $72,857

Frankfort, KY $72,848

Oklahoma City, OK $72,793

Chillicothe, OH $72,761

Longview, TX $72,753

Melbourne, FL $72,745

Sioux Falls, SD $72,618

Mobile, AL $72,610

Terre Haute, IN $72,578

Altoona, PA $72,530

Amarillo, TX $72,474

Killeen, TX $72,450

Fayetteville, AR $72,387

Chattanooga, TN $72,363

Sioux City, IA $72,291

Idaho Falls, ID $72,275

Lynchburg, VA $72,211

Gainesville, FL $72,108

Portsmouth, OH $72,068

Little Rock, AR $72,052

Lafayette, LA $72,020

Youngstown, OH $72,020

Daytona Beach, FL $71,972

Clarksville, TN $71,964

Pensacola, FL $71,956

Temple, TX $71,951

Hopkinsville, KY $71,717

Erie, PA $71,701

Florence, SC $71,669

Charleston, WV $71,542

Great Falls, MT $71,502

Macon, GA $71,391

Tallahassee, FL $71,383

Fayetteville, NC $71,367

Waco, TX $71,351

Helena, MT $71,295

Pine Bluff, AR $71,265

Vincennes, IN $71,167

Lubbock, TX $71,136

Alamogordo, NM $71,088

Twin Falls, ID $71,016

Rapid City, SD $70,992

Jackson, MS $70,849

Huntington, WV $70,843

Greenville, MS $70,841

Parkersburg, WV $70,759

Montgomery, AL $70,745

Wichita Falls, TX $70,665

Springfield, MO $70,665

Biloxi, MS $70,626

Monroe, LA $70,546

Johnstown, PA $70,490

Sumter, SC $70,458

Columbus, GA $70,450

Pascagoula, MS $70,299

Abilene, TX $70,299

Kingsport, TN $70,092

Albany, GA $70,092

Gulfport, MS $70,068

Alexandria, LA $69,805

Fort Smith, AR $69,606

El Paso, TX $69,390

Las Cruces, NM $69,032

Harlingen, TX $68,829

Pocatello, ID $68,817

Florence, AL $68,713

Brownsville, TX $68,697

Mcallen, TX $68,530

Dothan, AL $68,418

Columbus, MS $67,945

Altus, OK $67,574

Lawton, OK $67,422

Pierre, SD $67,135

What Skills Can Increase a Catering Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Presentation (Mentioned in 3.74% Job Postings): 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 (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): 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 (Mentioned in 0.76% Job Postings): 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.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Presentation	3.74%
Food Preparation	1.65%
Foodservice	0.76%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Catering Director's salary.

Environmental Safety: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Outside Sales: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Environmental Safety	$89,248	12%
Commitment	$86,858	9%
Outside Sales	$86,858	9%
Catering Operations	$85,264	7%
Marketing Plans	$84,467	6%
Communication Skills	$84,467	6%

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How Education impacts a Catering Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Catering Directors 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 Director with a Bachelor's Degree is between $69,747 and $81,080).

Catering Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Catering Director

No Diploma 20.2%

High School 20.2%

Associates 16.0%

Bachelors 54.3%

Masters 9.6%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

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%

view as graph

Catering Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Catering Director'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, 2026

$72,625

Average $79,686/year

$90,902

$6,052

Average $6,640/month

$7,575

$1,397

Average $1,532/week

$1,748

$35

Average $38/hour

$44

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,902	$7,575	$1,748	$44
Average	$79,686	$6,640	$1,532	$38
25th Percentile	$72,625	$6,052	$1,397	$35

Salaries of jobs related to Catering Director

Salary Trends for Catering Director

Salaries for a Catering Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $69,078 in 2023 to around $68,446 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Catering Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Catering Director Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$69,078

2024

$68,925

2025

$68,446

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$69,078
2024	$68,925
2025	$68,446
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Catering Director

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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