Food and beverage director salaries vary by experience.
A food and beverage director is a high-level position that reports to top management in a large organization. This individual directs and oversees all aspects of food and beverage service. Opportunities are found at luxury hotels and resorts, convention centers, large restaurants, golf courses, cruise ships and premier senior living communities. Salaries vary by experience, location and type of facility.
Job Features
The food and beverage director oversees the preparation and presentation of meals, and ensures that quality and safety standards are met. He manages the restaurant area, banquets and room service, and plans and coordinates special events. The director is in charge of menu planning and pricing, minimizing costs as much as possible, and keeping prices competitive while maximizing profit. The food and beverage director creates strategies for promoting certain foods and drinks, and identifies trends in customer demand. The director supervises all managers involved with food and beverage preparation and service.
Salary by Experience
This profession may require a bachelor's degree and several years of experience in food and beverage service or management. A sample job listing from Disney Parks requires a bachelor's degree in hospitality, retail, business or equivalent experience, and states a preference for a candidate with a master's degree. Median salary as of December 2010 for food and beverage directors with one to four years of experience was about $38,300 to $66,500, as reported by the PayScale salary survey website. Those with over five years of experience could expect to earn in the range of $47,000 to $84,000 annually.
Salary Range
The median salary for a food and beverage director as of December 2010 is $66,625 per year, according to Salary.com. Those on the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale are making about $52,300 to $78,500, and the top 10 percent earn over $89,300 per year. The top 10 high-paying geographic locations for food and beverage directors are Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle and San Antonio, as listed by PayScale.
Additional Income
Food and beverage directors typically receive bonuses, commissions and profit sharing. As reported by PayScale, profit sharing ranges from $2,000 to $10,000 per year, bonuses from $3,000 to $12,000 and commissions from $3,000 to $15,000.
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