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Café and restaurant manager

Find out more about working as a café and restaurant manager and the possible pathways to job opportunities.

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As a cafe or restaurant manager, you’ll be responsible for ensuring your venue runs smoothly. It’s a multifaceted role, and much in demand.

Find out what a café and restaurant manager does and the related Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses and pathways you can take to secure a job.

What is a café and restaurant manager?

Café and restaurant managers look after day-to-day operations. You may work in front-facing customer service, train or manage staff, or help make sure the business meets safety and quality standards. You may also manage stock, budgets and supply orders.

Find out more about café and restaurant managers(opens in a new window) and these related jobs on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):

Explore these related TAFE and training courses on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):

You may be eligible for government funding to help pay for your course.

Median salary

The median weekly earnings for café and restaurant managers in Australia is $1,441.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia(opens in a new window)

Note this salary is current as of January 2024 and is indicative only. A range of salaries apply to different roles across the industry.

Job demand in Victoria

Below are the employment projections for café and restaurant manager jobs in Victoria. Figures show the number of workers in 2024 and the new workers expected to enter the workforce by 2027 and 2034.

‘New workers expected’ accounts for workers adding new jobs to the economy and replacing retirees over the next 3 and 10 years. These projections are estimates only. There will be additional jobs available as people move between jobs and industries.

Region Workers 2024 New workers expected by 2027 New workers expected by 2034
Victoria 14,928 1,426 5,555
Melbourne – inner metropolitan 3,135 357 1,286
Melbourne – inner south-east metropolitan 1,530 128 488
Melbourne – southern metropolitan 1,908 161 641
Melbourne – northern metropolitan 1,736 186 740
Melbourne – eastern metropolitan 1,790 141 568
Melbourne – western metropolitan 1,495 191 725
Ballarat and surrounds (Central Highlands) 371 31 130
Bendigo, Echuca and surrounds (Loddon Campaspe) 492 41 171
Geelong, Colac and surrounds (Barwon) 819 77 326
Gippsland 558 47 183
Horsham and surrounds (Wimmera Southern Mallee) 85 <10 19
Mildura, Swan Hill and surrounds (Mallee) 179 <10 39
Shepparton, Seymour and surrounds (Goulburn) 229 16 69
Wangaratta, Wodonga and surrounds (Ovens Murray) 368 29 112
Warrnambool, Hamilton and surrounds (Great South Coast) 234 11 58

Source: Victorian Skills Authority Employment Projections Dashboard

Resources to plan your next steps

Visit our accommodation and food services industry profile to find out about:

Explore growing industries in your region

Training and careers in your region

Explore training, skills and job opportunities in your area of Victoria. Find out where you could work, what kind of job you could do, and what training you’ll need.

Training and careers in growing industries

Learn about high demand industries in Victoria. Find out where you could work, what kind of jobs you could do, and what training you’ll need.

Updated 7 January 2025

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