What does it cost to hire a food service manager in Des Moines?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $66,860 median wage in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $13,372 to $20,058 on the first year salary alone.

Hiring a food service manager in Des Moines, IA

Employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay food service managers a median of $66,860 a year, with the middle half of the market between $56,580 and $79,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 11-9051). Filling it through recruitlocalpros runs Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role rather than by salary or location, and our vetted recruiting partner handles sourcing, screening and placement end to end.

Do Des Moines residents in management work earn more than employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay?

Des Moines residents working in management occupations earn a median of $68,385 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $107,550 as the median of the 33 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 36%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole management group, not this one role. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area the group covers 33 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare at $49,210 to chief executives at $290,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with food service managers at $66,860 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 33 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Des Moines residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

What does a food service manager earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid to food service managers by employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 11-9051.
25th percentile	$56,580
Median	$66,860
75th percentile	$79,150

Half of food service managers in this area earn between $56,580 and $79,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $56,580 competes for the bottom quarter of the market. Occupation detail for SOC 11-9051 at O*NET OnLine.

Place of residence

What Des Moines residents earn

$68,385

Median annual earnings of Des Moines residents working in management occupations, 10,440 people (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011). An occupation group rather than this one role, and where people live rather than where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies.
Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner.
Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.

Task statements for SOC 11-9051, O*NET OnLine 29.1.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Office software, Facebook, Google Docs, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint.

Flagged in demand or hot for SOC 11-9051 by O*NET OnLine 29.1. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Des Moines?

This is a job zone two: some preparation needed occupation. These occupations usually require a high school diploma. O*NET OnLine, SOC 11-9051.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 29% of Des Moines adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Des Moines aged 25 and over.

The average Des Moines commute runs 19.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 11.4% of Des Moines workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Des Moines.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Polk County, management of companies and enterprises employs 12,074 and turns over 6.5% a quarter, with 1,340 hires against 1,165 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,884 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 55.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about food service managers. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $66,860 median in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $13,372 to $20,058 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a food service manager in Des Moines

What does it cost to hire a food service manager in Des Moines?: Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $66,860 median wage in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $13,372 to $20,058 on the first year salary alone.
What should an offer for a food service manager in Des Moines look like?: Employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay food service managers a median of $66,860, with the middle half of the market between $56,580 and $79,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $56,580 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.
Do Des Moines residents in management work earn more than employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay?: Des Moines residents working in management occupations earn a median of $68,385 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $107,550 as the median of the 33 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 36%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.
Is the talent for this role already in Des Moines?: This is a job zone 2 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 29% of Des Moines adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring a food service manager somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other management roles in Des Moines

Des Moines is the largest of 1 Iowa cities in this dataset.