Hiring a food service manager in Tampa, FL

Do Tampa residents in management work earn more than employers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area pay?

Tampa residents working in management occupations earn a median of $83,557 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $106,330 as the median of the 33 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 21%, 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area the group covers 33 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare at $60,530 to architectural and engineering managers at $169,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with food service managers at $80,180 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 Tampa residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Tampa?

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, 44.6% of Tampa adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Tampa aged 25 and over.

The average Tampa commute runs 24.7 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 19.3% of Tampa 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 Tampa.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Hillsborough County, management of companies and enterprises employs 22,469 and turns over 6.1% a quarter, with 2,329 hires against 1,896 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $10,014 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 $80,180 median in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $16,036 to $24,054 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 Tampa

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

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 $80,180 median wage in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $16,036 to $24,054 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a food service manager in Tampa look like?

Employers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area pay food service managers a median of $80,180, with the middle half of the market between $60,850 and $84,930 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $60,850 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Tampa residents in management work earn more than employers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area pay?

Tampa residents working in management occupations earn a median of $83,557 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $106,330 as the median of the 33 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 21%. 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 Tampa?

This is a job zone 2 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 44.6% of Tampa adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Food Service Managers: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Tampa
• Every Florida city we cover

Tampa is the 3rd largest of 9 Florida cities in this dataset.