How To Become A Food Service Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a food service supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A food science supervisor specializes in the study of scientific and technological principles to analyze food processing using microbiology, engineering, and chemistry. He/she analyses the contents of food to determine the level of nutrients and to maintain the required level of quality standards.

They also investigate ways of making processed food taste good, safe, and healthy. Most food science supervisors work in research and development departments of food processing companies, while some work in processing plants.

To be successful in their role, food science supervisors must have prior experience in the field and should possess technical skills. He/she should also be attentive to details, have analytical skills, communication skills, and organization skills. A food science supervisor typically works full time 40 hours a week from Monday to Friday, from 9 to 5. They mostly work in a laboratory setting where they conduct most of their analyses.

ScoreFood Service SupervisorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,763

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.1

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 8.47%

Black or African American 12.31%

Hispanic or Latino 16.07%

Unknown 4.98%

White 57.60%

Gender

female 56.78%

male 43.22%

Age - 38

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 - 38

Stress Level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.3

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a food service supervisor

Explore food service supervisor education requirements

Most common food service supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

36.3 %

Associate

29.4 %

High School Diploma

20.3 %

Start to develop specific food service supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Good Judgment	14.81%
Safety Practices	10.96%
Food Production	10.37%
Customer Service	8.40%
Food Handling	8.13%

Complete relevant food service supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New food service supervisors 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 food service supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real food service supervisor resumes.

Gain additional food service supervisor certifications

Food service supervisor 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 food service supervisor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for food service supervisors include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Dietary Manager (CDM).

More About Certifications

Research food service supervisor duties and responsibilities

Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
Icomply to all HACCP standards and is ServSafe certify.
Compile staff schedules, prepare money for cash drops, operate register and POS.
Perform culinary decision making as it pertain to food inventory, menus, and production methods.

Prepare your food service supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your food service supervisor 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 food service supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Food Service Supervisor Resume templates

Build a professional Food Service Supervisor 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 Food Service Supervisor resume.

Apply for food service supervisor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a food service supervisor 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

How do food service supervisors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

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1 Star

Food Service Supervisor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Pros

Not sedentary, moving around. Creativity.

Cons

Repetitive tasks. Or obviously, working with people who are highly critical.