Hiring a food service manager in Washington, DC

Do Washington residents in management work earn more than employers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area pay?

Washington residents working in management occupations earn a median of $121,675 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $137,860 as the median of the 35 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 12%, 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area the group covers 35 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare at $61,960 to computer and information systems managers at $195,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with food service managers at $79,290 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 35 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 Washington 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 Washington?

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, 63.6% of Washington adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Washington aged 25 and over.

The average Washington commute runs 30.3 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 29.4% of Washington 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 Washington.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In District of Columbia, management of companies and enterprises employs 3,174 and turns over 7.3% a quarter, with 373 hires against 347 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $35,575 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 normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

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 $79,290 median in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $15,858 to $23,787 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 Washington

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

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 $79,290 median wage in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $15,858 to $23,787 on the first year salary alone.

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

Employers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area pay food service managers a median of $79,290, with the middle half of the market between $69,180 and $100,720 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $69,180 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Washington residents in management work earn more than employers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area pay?

Washington residents working in management occupations earn a median of $121,675 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $137,860 as the median of the 35 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 12%. 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 Washington?

This is a job zone 2 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 63.6% of Washington 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 Washington
• Every District of Columbia city we cover

Washington is the largest of 1 District of Columbia cities in this dataset.