How To Become A Deli Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a deli manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The deli is the favorite go-to place for meat lovers. If you are a meat enthusiast, you must have visited a deli at least once. If you had an awesome dining experience over there, the deli manager has performed a splendid job. Deli owners are well aware of the importance of managers as well. In the absence of Deli managers, the staff doesn't perform up to the mark.

Managers keep an eye on the staff and monitor their performance to boost their productivity to maximize the deli's profit. They also hire and train the new staff along with creating promotional campaigns. Employees and managers work and coordinate together to achieve the set sales goals of the firm. As a deli manager, you will instantly resolve complaints, fulfill the requirements of guests, and solve their issues/inquiries.

Deli managers offer their services to the deli and other retailers for a salary of $18.84 per hour. To become one, you need to have sufficient food services, food safety, and deli skills. You don't need any sort of formal education for the job but a high school diploma is preferred.

ScoreDeli ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,221

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.1

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.88%

Asian 5.80%

Black or African American 10.05%

Hispanic or Latino 15.38%

Unknown 5.16%

White 62.73%

Gender

female 67.07%

male 32.93%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress Level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.0

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a deli manager

Explore deli manager education requirements

Most common deli manager degrees

High School Diploma

38.2 %

Associate

25.1 %

Bachelor's

22.1 %

Start to develop specific deli manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Cleanliness	12.98%
Basic Math	10.15%
Food Safety	9.81%
Pallets	8.23%
Food Handling	8.01%

Complete relevant deli manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New deli managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a deli manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real deli manager resumes.

Gain additional deli manager certifications

Deli manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific deli manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for deli managers include Food Safety Manager Certification and Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS).

More About Certifications

Research deli manager duties and responsibilities

Manage deli; stock; order groceries, inventory, make salads, sandwiches, cookies, and doughnuts.
Frequent use basic measurements as well as math.
Wait on customers, utilize math, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Operate meat and cheese slicers, oven, fryer, cutting tools, scale and other deli equipment.

Prepare your deli manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your deli manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a deli manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Deli Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Deli Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Deli Manager resume.

Apply for deli manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a deli manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams