Food Service · Career brief

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$44,080

Lower national median pay

2025 national median. Bottom quarter for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

5.4%

Steady projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

171,500

Exceptional hiring volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top 10% for openings among careers on ChooseField.

4Route in

High school

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

Persuasive / leading

Influence, decisions, and results matter

Resolve customer complaints regarding food service.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The standout national signal is opening volume; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if persuasive or leadership-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a high-school entry path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:Chefs and Head Cooks Cooks, Private Household Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers with another field Explore rankings in Food Service Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$44,080

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

5.4%employment growth171,500openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

1,236,400

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (35-1012).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Resolve customer complaints regarding food service.
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.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.
The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Getting Information4.4
Training and Teaching Others4.0
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.9
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.9
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.9

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Enterprising6.4
Conventional4.7
Realistic4.6
Social3.4
Investigative1.4
Artistic1.3

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Food Production Production and Processing Sales and Marketing Personnel and Human Resources

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Prepare the same item more than once under a time and cost limit, then improve consistency using another person's feedback.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Monitoring, Speaking, Active Listening among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

Prior related experience: less than 5 years. Look for the preceding roles and promotion route before treating this as a first job.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options