Food Service Managers Salary
Food Service Managers in Illinois make a median of $63,930 a year, or about $30.73 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $68,119 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 33.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $64K get you in Illinois?
About food service managers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Food service managers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $69K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,407/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level food service managers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Food Service Managers salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $66K | +3% | 8,530 |
| Decatur | $63K | -1% | 80 |
| Rockford | $62K | -4% | 230 |
| Springfield | $61K | -5% | 160 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $61K | -5% | 230 |
| Kankakee | $60K | -5% | 100 |
| Peoria | $60K | -6% | 220 |
| Bloomington | $58K | -10% | 190 |
Compare to other states
Track food service managers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food service manager afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 33.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food service managers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food service managers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,183/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food service manager a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $69K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for food service managers?
Illinois pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $69K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do food service managers make in Illinois?
The median is $63,930 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,390, and experienced food service managers can clear $101,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,183/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 33.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a food service managers salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food service managers salary is worth about $68,119 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food service managers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.