Quick answer:Food Service Managers in the Durham area earn a median $75,800 per year, above the national median of $69,390, and the metro employs about 510 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Restaurant and Food Service Management Pay in Durham, NC
Metric
Durham metro
North Carolina
National
Median annual wage
$75,800
$74,080
$69,390
10th percentile
$51,840
$51,780
$45,960
25th percentile
$61,270
$59,790
$56,870
75th percentile
$83,930
$91,080
$86,800
90th percentile
$105,170
$104,060
$107,640
Employment
510
9,420
238,430
Location quotient
0.97
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Durham median of $75,800 is above the national median of $69,390, and above the North Carolina statewide median of $74,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.97 means food service managers are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Food service management tracks restaurant density, tourism and hospitality activity, so it is one of the most evenly distributed occupations on the site.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. No license is required to manage a restaurant. The regulatory piece is food safety: a food protection manager certification, commonly ServSafe from the National Restaurant Association, with the specific requirement set by local health departments rather than nationally. On the academic side ACPHA accredits hospitality administration programs, though employer recognition and demonstrated operating results carry more weight here than programmatic accreditation.
See the North Carolina licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your local health department and state food safety authority.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 145 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
The median annual wage for food service managers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area is $75,800, above the national median of $69,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many food service managers work in the Durham area?
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area employs about 510 food service managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do food service managers in Durham need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. No license is required to manage a restaurant. The regulatory piece is food safety: a food protection manager certification, commonly ServSafe from the National Restaurant Association, with the specific requirement set by local health departments rather than nationally. On the academic side ACPHA accredits hospitality administration programs, though employer recognition and demonstrated operating results carry more weight here than programmatic accreditation. Confirm current requirements with your local health department and state food safety authority.
Can I study restaurant and food service management online from Durham?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your local health department and state food safety authority.
Is Durham a better market than the rest of North Carolina?
The Durham metro median is $75,800 against a statewide median of $74,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Food Service Managers (SOC 11-9051), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
