What are the main factors that influence a Dining Director's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Dining Director's salary?

A Dining Director's salary grows with experience: a Food & Beverage Supervisor (0-3 years)earns $40,440, a Food & Beverage Manager (3-5 years)earns $90,466, a Dining Director (5+ years)earns $112,973,

What are the highest paying states for a Dining Director?

Dining Director salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Dining Director roles are District of Columbia $125,403, California $124,927, Massachusetts $123,262. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Dining Director roles make?

Salaries for Dining Director level roles vary by specialization: Associate Director of Campus Dining: $167,158; Assistant Director of Dining Services: $128,723; Director of Dining: $120,914; Director Of Dining Services: $113,261; DIRECTOR DINING SERVICES II: $106,494.

How do different companies affect a Dining Director's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Dining Director roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Dining Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Dining Director make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Dining Director in the United States is $113,261 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $54.

However, a Dining Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $143,291
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $103,716 to $128,980
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $95,027

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

AI-Powered HR

Recruit with AI

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Dining Director Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$128,980	$10,748	$2,480	$62
Average	$113,261	$9,438	$2,178	$54
25th Percentile	$103,716	$8,643	$1,995	$50

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Dining Director Job Openings in the United States

DINING SERVICES DIRECTOR

Compass Group - Hilliard, OH

DINING SERVICES DIRECTOR

Compass Group - Columbus, OH

Dining Services Director

Compass Group - Granville, OH

DIRECTOR DINING SERVICES II

Compass Group - Athens, OH

Search More Dining Director Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Dining Director Salaries

A Dining Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Dining Director Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Dining Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $125,403.
California: $124,927.
Massachusetts: $123,262.

District of Columbia $125,403

California $124,927

Massachusetts $123,262

Washington $122,809

New Jersey $122,764

Alaska $122,605

Connecticut $121,042

New York $120,408

Hawaii $118,380

Rhode Island $117,429

Maryland $116,783

Minnesota $115,900

Colorado $115,560

Illinois $115,447

Oregon $115,017

Delaware $114,699

New Hampshire $114,500

Virginia $114,054

Pennsylvania $112,751

Nevada $112,094

North Dakota $111,879

Michigan $111,539

Wisconsin $111,415

Vermont $111,166

Texas $110,475

Maine $110,429

Arizona $110,361

Ohio $110,282

Georgia $109,240

Indiana $108,719

Wyoming $108,617

Utah $108,459

Iowa $108,391

Kansas $107,847

Louisiana $107,689

North Carolina $107,632

Missouri $107,609

Florida $107,168

Montana $106,930

Nebraska $106,703

Kentucky $106,579

South Carolina $106,126

Tennessee $105,842

Idaho $105,729

New Mexico $104,902

Oklahoma $104,721

Alabama $104,053

South Dakota $102,932

Arkansas $102,320

West Virginia $101,991

Mississippi $101,006

Top Paying Cities for Dining Directors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $142,856
San Francisco: $141,452
Oakland: $138,314

San Jose, CA $142,856

San Francisco, CA $141,452

Oakland, CA $138,314

New York, NY $131,258

Queens Village, NY $130,409

Paramus, NJ $129,503

Passaic, NJ $129,389

Bergenfield, NJ $129,276

Stamford, CT $129,106

Huntington, NY $128,993

Newark, NJ $128,257

Bridgeport, CT $128,030

New Brunswick, NJ $127,656

Vallejo, CA $127,419

Middlesex, NJ $127,351

Somerset, NJ $127,249

Petaluma, CA $126,988

Santa Cruz, CA $126,546

Boston, MA $126,320

Monterey, CA $125,754

Fairbanks, AK $125,674

Los Angeles, CA $125,459

Washington, DC $125,403

Seattle, WA $125,199

Santa Rosa, CA $125,176

Juneau, AK $124,848

Orange, CA $124,474

Anchorage, AK $124,270

Anaheim, CA $124,191

Santa Ana, CA $124,021

Nassau, NY $123,953

Long Beach, CA $123,907

Danbury, CT $123,874

Santa Maria, CA $123,488

Everett, WA $123,466

Bremerton, WA $122,911

Trenton, NJ $122,696

Sacramento, CA $122,650

San Diego, CA $122,594

Brockton, MA $122,548

Tacoma, WA $122,503

Santa Barbara, CA $122,344

Lowell, MA $121,891

New Suffolk, NY $121,846

Nashua, NH $121,710

Lompoc, CA $121,529

Ventura, CA $121,416

Stockton, CA $121,382

New Haven, CT $121,155

Atlantic City, NJ $120,861

Hartford, CT $120,612

Modesto, CA $120,555

Poughkeepsie, NY $120,306

New Britain, CT $120,249

Kennewick, WA $120,091

Olympia, WA $120,091

New London, CT $120,068

Norwich, CT $120,034

Lawrence, MA $119,977

Bakersfield, CA $119,660

New Bedford, MA $119,502

Riverside, CA $119,502

Richland, WA $119,388

Portsmouth, NH $119,298

Vineland, NJ $119,275

San Bernardino, CA $119,185

Boulder, CO $118,867

Worcester, MA $118,777

Portland, OR $118,675

Saint Paul, MN $118,539

Minneapolis, MN $118,539

Philadelphia, PA $118,380

Honolulu, HI $117,780

Springfield, MA $117,384

Providence, RI $117,372

Chicago, IL $117,044

Bellingham, WA $116,908

Baltimore, MD $116,783

Chico, CA $116,500

Wilmington, DE $116,308

Pittsfield, MA $116,194

Manchester, NH $115,979

Spokane, WA $115,481

Denver, CO $115,470

Albany, NY $114,937

Troy, NY $114,892

Schenectady, NY $114,654

Burlington, VT $114,405

Portland, ME $114,008

Salem, OR $113,918

Yakima, WA $113,895

Ann Arbor, MI $113,861

Rochester, MN $113,544

Reno, NV $113,487

Fresno, CA $113,487

Milwaukee, WI $113,386

Detroit, MI $113,272

Allentown, PA $113,238

Carson City, NV $113,227

Houston, TX $113,057

Colorado Springs, CO $113,046

Syracuse, NY $112,989

Eugene, OR $112,774

Gary, IN $112,638

Bismarck, ND $112,638

Galveston, TX $112,638

Springfield, OR $112,547

Medford, OR $112,276

Fort Collins, CO $112,230

Austin, TX $112,140

Mesa, AZ $111,902

Phoenix, AZ $111,879

Dallas, TX $111,845

Reading, PA $111,777

Saint Cloud, MN $111,732

Concord, NH $111,630

Madison, WI $111,585

Utica, NY $111,279

Raleigh, NC $111,188

Las Vegas, NV $111,177

Rochester, NY $111,098

Des Moines, IA $111,086

Atlanta, GA $110,905

Battle Creek, MI $110,871

Salt Lake City, UT $110,837

Lancaster, PA $110,667

Champaign, IL $110,645

Harrisburg, PA $110,509

Durham, NC $110,407

Kansas City, MO $110,395

Kansas City, KS $110,373

Fort Worth, TX $110,361

Boca Raton, FL $110,316

Cleveland, OH $110,305

Columbus, OH $110,282

Pittsburgh, PA $110,271

Richmond, VA $110,226

Indianapolis, IN $110,203

Cincinnati, OH $110,056

Petersburg, VA $109,886

Lansing, MI $109,637

Billings, MT $109,637

Huntsville, AL $109,637

Lebanon, PA $109,625

Pueblo, CO $109,614

Dayton, OH $109,614

Appleton, WI $109,580

Buffalo, NY $109,535

Racine, WI $109,478

Charlotte, NC $109,467

Saint Louis, MO $109,433

Springfield, IL $109,387

York, PA $109,365

Elkhart, IN $109,365

Gastonia, NC $109,353

Benton Harbor, MI $109,353

Beaumont, TX $109,285

Lorain, OH $109,263

Toledo, OH $109,218

Binghamton, NY $109,161

Rock Hill, SC $109,150

Rockford, IL $109,093

Elyria, OH $109,036

Fargo, ND $109,036

Flagstaff, AZ $108,957

Fort Lauderdale, FL $108,889

Miami, FL $108,821

Duluth, MN $108,640

Bangor, ME $108,493

Cedar Rapids, IA $108,368

Louisville, KY $108,311

Grand Rapids, MI $108,289

Hialeah, FL $108,277

Casper, WY $108,119

Scranton, PA $107,983

New Orleans, LA $107,949

Virginia Beach, VA $107,938

Akron, OH $107,881

Peoria, IL $107,734

Sarasota, FL $107,711

Green Bay, WI $107,632

Baton Rouge, LA $107,575

Charleston, SC $107,553

Nashville, TN $107,519

Jamestown, NY $107,496

Davenport, IA $107,496

Tucson, AZ $107,439

Cheyenne, WY $107,405

Saint Petersburg, FL $107,371

Tampa, FL $107,349

Omaha, NE $107,326

Evansville, IN $107,281

Port Arthur, TX $107,281

Bradenton, FL $107,235

Santa Fe, NM $107,032

Orlando, FL $106,918

Clearwater, FL $106,794

La Crosse, WI $106,556

Canton, OH $106,556

Grand Forks, ND $106,522

Tulsa, OK $106,488

Albuquerque, NM $106,488

Newport News, VA $106,477

High Point, NC $106,443

Ogden, UT $106,397

Corpus Christi, TX $106,307

Laramie, WY $106,239

Norfolk, VA $106,239

Rock Island, IL $106,171

Saginaw, MI $106,148

Jacksonville, FL $106,137

Salisbury, NC $106,114

Memphis, TN $106,092

Moline, IL $106,035

Fort Myers, FL $106,001

Waterloo, IA $105,854

Spartanburg, SC $105,740

Lincoln, NE $105,684

Fort Wayne, IN $105,661

Birmingham, AL $105,537

Cedar Falls, IA $105,514

Provo, UT $105,503

Springfield, OH $105,491

San Antonio, TX $105,469

Greensboro, NC $105,423

South Bend, IN $105,412

Winston Salem, NC $105,401

Boise, ID $105,367

Savannah, GA $105,287

Muskegon, MI $105,084

Lima, OH $104,948

Lake Charles, LA $104,902

Anderson, IN $104,880

Lexington, KY $104,846

Augusta, GA $104,812

Greenville, SC $104,812

Wichita, KS $104,710

Tuscaloosa, AL $104,710

Columbia, SC $104,608

Bloomington, IN $104,325

Roanoke, VA $104,257

Asheville, NC $104,109

Knoxville, TN $103,917

Shreveport, LA $103,906

Wilmington, NC $103,758

Frankfort, KY $103,543

Oklahoma City, OK $103,464

Chillicothe, OH $103,419

Longview, TX $103,407

Topeka, KS $103,373

Mobile, AL $103,203

Terre Haute, IN $103,158

Erie, PA $103,147

Altoona, PA $103,090

Melbourne, FL $103,056

Amarillo, TX $103,011

Killeen, TX $102,977

Fayetteville, AR $102,886

Sioux Falls, SD $102,807

Chattanooga, TN $102,739

Idaho Falls, ID $102,728

Gainesville, FL $102,490

Portsmouth, OH $102,433

Little Rock, AR $102,411

Lynchburg, VA $102,411

Youngstown, OH $102,365

Lafayette, LA $102,365

Temple, TX $102,320

Daytona Beach, FL $102,297

Clarksville, TN $102,286

Pensacola, FL $102,275

Hopkinsville, KY $101,935

Charleston, WV $101,924

Florence, SC $101,867

Sioux City, IA $101,799

Macon, GA $101,470

Tallahassee, FL $101,459

Fayetteville, NC $101,437

Wichita Falls, TX $101,414

Waco, TX $101,414

Pine Bluff, AR $101,369

Vincennes, IN $101,153

Lubbock, TX $101,108

Great Falls, MT $101,040

Alamogordo, NM $101,029

Abilene, TX $100,938

Rapid City, SD $100,791

Monroe, LA $100,791

Albany, GA $100,723

Huntington, WV $100,712

Jackson, MS $100,700

Greenville, MS $100,689

Parkersburg, WV $100,576

Montgomery, AL $100,553

Johnstown, PA $100,530

Springfield, MO $100,440

Biloxi, MS $100,383

Sumter, SC $100,145

Columbus, GA $100,134

Twin Falls, ID $100,066

Pascagoula, MS $99,919

Kingsport, TN $99,624

Gulfport, MS $99,590

Alexandria, LA $99,217

Fort Smith, AR $98,933

El Paso, TX $98,628

Helena, MT $98,480

Las Cruces, NM $98,118

Harlingen, TX $97,801

Pocatello, ID $97,699

Florence, AL $97,665

Brownsville, TX $97,642

Dothan, AL $97,461

Mcallen, TX $97,404

Columbus, MS $96,566

Altus, OK $96,045

Lawton, OK $95,830

Pierre, SD $95,422

What Skills Can Increase a Dining Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Leadership (Mentioned in 6.12% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Menu Development (Mentioned in 2.04% Job Postings): Menu Development focuses primarily on the dish selection and design of a menu. When developing custom menus for clients, we look at the brand's story, guest demographics, local ingredients, and specialties
Food Handling (Mentioned in 1.58% Job Postings): Food Handling means one or more operations of food production, manufacture, offering or displaying for sale, storage, preserving, wrapping, transportation, delivery, importation, exportation, or the licensing or approval for any of such activities.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Leadership	6.12%
Menu Development	2.04%
Food Handling	1.58%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Dining Director's salary.

Listening: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Merchandising: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Listening	$117,791	4%
Initiative	$117,791	4%
Merchandising	$117,791	4%
Verbal Communication	$117,791	4%
Commitment	$117,791	4%
Presentation	$116,659	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Dining Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Dining Directors enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Dining Director with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $97,611 and $108,761).

Dining Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Dining Director

No Diploma 1.4%

High School 22.0%

Associates 17.3%

Bachelors 52.3%

Masters 6.9%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.4%
High School	22.0%
Associates	17.3%
Bachelors	52.3%
Masters	6.9%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Dining Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Dining Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$103,716

Average $113,261/year

$128,980

$8,643

Average $9,438/month

$10,748

$1,995

Average $2,178/week

$2,480

$50

Average $54/hour

$62

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$128,980	$10,748	$2,480	$62
Average	$113,261	$9,438	$2,178	$54
25th Percentile	$103,716	$8,643	$1,995	$50

Salaries of jobs related to Dining Director

Salary Trends for Dining Director

Salaries for a Dining Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $82,526 in 2023 to around $79,037 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Dining Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Dining Director Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$82,526

2024

$80,308

2025

$79,037

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$82,526
2024	$80,308
2025	$79,037
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Dining Director

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit

the United States

Find Your Next Dining Director Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Dining Director job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about