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):
- bar attendant(opens in a new window)
- barista(opens in a new window)
- café worker(opens in a new window)
- doorperson or luggage porter(opens in a new window)
- gaming worker(opens in a new window)
- hotel or motel receptionist(opens in a new window)
- kitchenhand(opens in a new window)
- waiter(opens in a new window).
Related training courses
Search for related VET courses on the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window):
You may be eligible for government funding(opens in a new window) 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 June 2024 and is indicative only. A range of salaries apply to different roles across the industry.
Job demand in Victoria
Below are the employment forecasts for café and restaurant manager jobs in Victoria. Figures show the number of workers in 2023 and the new workers expected to enter the workforce by 2026.
‘New workers expected’ accounts for workers adding new jobs to the economy and replacing retirees over the next 3 years. These forecasts are estimates only. There will be additional jobs available as people move between jobs and industries.
| Region | Workers 2023 | Workforce growth 2023-2026 | New workers needed by 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 15,025 | 1.3% | 1,917 |
| Melbourne – inner metropolitan | 2,677 | 1.6% | 365 |
| Melbourne – inner south-east metropolitan | 1,431 | 1.1% | 176 |
| Melbourne – southern metropolitan | 2,082 | 1.2% | 258 |
| Melbourne – northern metropolitan | 1,822 | 1.2% | 230 |
| Melbourne – eastern metropolitan | 1,843 | 1.2% | 229 |
| Melbourne – western metropolitan | 1,694 | 1.2% | 210 |
| Ballarat and surrounds (Central Highlands) | 458 | 1.4% | 60 |
| Bendigo, Echuca and surrounds (Loddon Campaspe) | 575 | 1.3% | 73 |
| Geelong, Colac and surrounds (Barwon) | 796 | 1.6% | 111 |
| Gippsland | 517 | 1.2% | 64 |
| Horsham and surrounds (Wimmera Southern Mallee) | 74 | 0.0% | <10 |
| Mildura, Swan Hill and surrounds (Mallee) | 154 | 0.6% | 16 |
| Shepparton, Seymour and surrounds (Goulburn) | 360 | 1.6% | 50 |
| Wangaratta, Wodonga and surrounds (Ovens Murray) | 347 | 1.6% | 48 |
| Warrnambool, Hamilton and surrounds (Great South Coast) | 195 | 0.4% | 19 |
Source: Victorian Skills Authority employment forecast dashboard
Resources to plan your next steps
Visit our accommodation and food services industry profile to find out about:
- what it’s like to work in accommodation and food services, and some of the jobs you could do
- training and skills to work in the industry, and financial assistance to help pay for your course
- help getting a job in accommodation and food services, and industry job forecasts for Victoria
- other free resources and advice to plan your training and career.
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Training and careers in your region
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Training and careers in growing industries
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