Prevailing Wage for Food Service Managers
The prevailing wage for Food Service Managers (SOC 11-9051) sets the DOL-mandated pay floor that employers must meet when sponsoring a Catering Manager, Banquet Manager, or Dining Service Director on an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL publishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly by city and metro area.
See all jobs for Food Service ManagersLook up your work address
Entry-level Food Service Managers with limited experience, typically in a narrowly defined role with close supervision, working within established procedures. Usually under two years in a formal food service management position. Most applicable to recent hospitality graduates stepping into a first managerial role.
Qualified managers with two or more years of experience handling day-to-day operations with moderate independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Food Service Managers, reflecting candidates who can manage staff, control costs, and maintain compliance without continuous oversight.
Experienced managers overseeing multi-unit or high-volume operations, mentoring junior staff, and making independent operational decisions. Typically five or more years in food service management, often with P&L responsibility or cross-departmental coordination across a hotel, hospital, or large catering operation.
Fully competent directors, such as a Food Service Director or F and B Manager, with extensive leadership scope, strategic planning duties, and accountability for organizational performance. Usually ten or more years of progressive management experience, often at the regional or enterprise level.
Prevailing Wage for Food Service Managers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
See all jobs for Food Service Managers
See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Food Service Managers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Food Service Managers
Confirm your worksite city on the LCA
Food service management wages vary sharply between metro areas: Seattle and Napa area employers file at significantly higher floors than Puerto Rico metros. The worksite address on the LCA, not the corporate headquarters, determines which prevailing wage the employer must meet.
Watch how bonus pay is counted
Many Food Service Manager offers include tips, service charges, or performance bonuses. DOL's prevailing wage requirement applies to the base salary component only, so offers structured with a low base plus variable gratuity pools may fall short of the required floor despite a high total compensation figure.
Check employer sponsorship history for this role
Hospitality groups, contract food service companies, and hospital systems sponsor Food Service Managers at very different rates. Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring this occupation, so you can focus outreach on companies that have actually filed for the role before.
Avoid title mismatches that skip the correct SOC
Roles titled Catering Coordinator or Kitchen Supervisor are sometimes filed under a lower SOC than 11-9051, reducing the prevailing wage floor the employer must meet. Confirm the SOC code and wage level cited on the LCA match your actual management scope before accepting an offer.
Jobs for Food Service Managers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Food Service ManagersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 11-9051.00 alongside Food Service Managers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Banquet Manager Prevailing Wage
Banquet Manager Prevailing Wage
Banquet Manager positions fall under SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Catering Manager Prevailing Wage
Catering Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Catering Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
CDM (Certified Dietary Manager) Prevailing Wage
CDM (Certified Dietary Manager) Prevailing Wage
CDM (Certified Dietary Manager) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Dining Service Director Prevailing Wage
Dining Service Director Prevailing Wage
Dining Service Director positions fall under SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
F and B Manager (Food and Beverage Manager) Prevailing Wage
F and B Manager (Food and Beverage Manager) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a F and B Manager (Food and Beverage Manager) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Food Service Director Prevailing Wage
Food Service Director Prevailing Wage
Food Service Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Food Service Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Food Service Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Food Service Supervisor positions fall under SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Kitchen Manager Prevailing Wage
Kitchen Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Kitchen Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Restaurant Manager Prevailing Wage
Restaurant Manager Prevailing Wage
Restaurant Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 11-9051.00 (Food Service Managers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Food Service Managers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Food Service Managers using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metro areas. The OFLC publishes these figures annually. For PERM-based green card sponsorship, employers may alternatively request a formal Prevailing Wage Determination from OFLC, which applies the same OES data to the specific job duties and worksite.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL divides Food Service Manager roles into four levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity. Level 1 applies to entry-level positions with close oversight. Level 2 covers qualified managers working with moderate independence, and it is the level most commonly filed for this occupation. Level 3 reflects experienced managers with significant autonomy. Level 4 covers fully competent directors with strategic responsibility. The level on the LCA should reflect your actual job duties, not just your years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role differ so much between cities?
DOL draws prevailing wages from regional OES surveys that capture local labor market conditions, so a Food Service Manager role in Seattle or Kahului commands a substantially higher floor than the same role in a lower-wage metro. The rule that governs this is the worksite-on-LCA requirement: the wage must correspond to the metro area where the employee will actually work. Employers cannot use a lower national or headquarters city wage if the physical worksite is in a higher-wage area.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An LCA filed at a salary below the applicable prevailing wage will not be certified by DOL. If the underpayment is discovered after certification, the employer faces back-pay liability, potential debarment from future sponsorship, and USCIS may deny or revoke the underlying petition. Candidates should request a copy of the certified LCA and verify the wage level matches the offer letter before starting work.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Food Service Manager position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 11-9051 in any metro area. Select the relevant area of intended employment and the experience level that matches the job description. For green card filings, the employer may also request an OFLC Prevailing Wage Determination specific to the job duties. Migrate Mate can help you identify which employers have sponsored Food Service Managers in particular cities, giving you a starting point for targeted outreach.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Food Service Managers right now.
Search Jobs for Food Service Managers