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$36K

$93.4K

$134.5K

How much do category manager food jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for category manager food in the United States is $93,410.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $75,500.00 and $110,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a category manager food do?

A Category Manager Food is responsible for managing and optimizing a specific group of food products within a retail or wholesale organization. Their main duties include analyzing market trends, selecting and sourcing products, negotiating with suppliers, and developing pricing and promotion strategies to maximize sales and profitability. They collaborate closely with marketing, sales, and supply chain teams to ensure the right product mix and inventory levels. The role requires strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills to drive category performance and meet business objectives.

How does a category manager food typically collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to optimize product assortments?

As a Category Manager in the food industry, you'll regularly work with suppliers to negotiate contracts, evaluate new products, and ensure quality standards are met. Internally, you'll collaborate closely with marketing, procurement, and sales teams to analyze consumer trends, manage pricing strategies, and optimize product assortments for maximum profitability. Building strong relationships and maintaining open communication with both suppliers and colleagues is key to responding quickly to market changes and ensuring the success of your assigned categories.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a category manager food, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Category Manager Food, you need expertise in product sourcing, market analysis, supplier negotiation, and a background in business, supply chain, or related fields. Familiarity with procurement software, retail analytics tools, and certification in supply chain management or category management is often required. Strong analytical thinking, relationship-building, and strategic communication skills help distinguish top performers. These competencies drive profitable category growth, effective supplier partnerships, and successful alignment with consumer trends.

What is the difference between Category Manager Food vs Product Manager Food?

AspectCategory Manager FoodProduct Manager Food
Primary FocusManaging food product categories, supplier relationships, and category performanceDeveloping and managing specific food products from conception to launch
Work EnvironmentRetail, grocery chains, food distributorsFood manufacturing, product development teams
Required SkillsCategory analysis, supplier negotiation, market researchProduct development, market analysis, cross-functional collaboration

While both roles involve the food industry, the Category Manager Food focuses on managing entire food categories and supplier relationships, often within retail or distribution settings. In contrast, the Product Manager Food concentrates on developing specific food products, typically within manufacturing or product development teams. Understanding these distinctions helps job seekers target the right roles based on their skills and career goals.

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What states have the most Category Manager Food jobs?

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What job categories do people searching Category Manager Food jobs look for?

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Category Manager Food jobs near you
Infographic showing various Category Manager Food job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 81% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 17% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $93,410 per year, or $44.9 per hour.

Category Manager (Food)

Cesna Recruitment

Buena Park, CA

Full-time

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

[Job Description]

Responsible for short term and long-term category strategies for PBFRM in US and global markets in Canada and Europe across all channels Club, Retail, and Food Services.

Maintain a strategic multi-year plan and roadmap to support category growth and profitability targets and deliver compelling product/category messaging and positioning.

Manage products by closely monitoring and analyzing sales volumes, market share trends and competitive activities and based on consumer and product knowledge and insight.

Collaborate with cross functional stakeholders in Sales, SCM, R&D, Operations for product innovation roadmap, planning, commercial and distribution strategies, and any potential product issues.

Lead the development of annual marketing plan for the categories, through deep consumer insights including consumer needs, buying preferences, and macro trends. Partner closely with stakeholders to drive results.

Set and manage P&L targets by channels.

Lead the development process of new products (NPD) and imports from HQ from conception through execution, including pricing, positioning, regulatory labeling, and packaging.

Work collaboratively with cross-functional depts, including SCM, Operations, R&D, to ensure the infrastructure is enabled to support the development process and overall product/category strategy.

Continually monitor and report on the market landscape using competitive analysis and consumer insights to inform product decisions.

Manage product lifecycle including product improvements and SKU rationalization.

Develop new product marketing plan and develop strategies to communicate with consumers.

Develop and maintain a dashboard of metrics to understand category performance (e.g., volume, profit); build data-driven narratives for Sales team for successful sales achievement.

Determine the consumer research and data needed and conduct marketing research; track market and competitive trends to remain abreast of category developments.

Support in developing annual marketing budget for the category and deliver marketing activities within the budget.

Support in leading the quarterly business reviews to present to the leadership team.

Oversee one direct report.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree required, preferably in Marketing, Advertising or Business Administration. MBA is a plus.

Passion for food is a must!

10+ years of relevant work experience in brand or product innovation marketing (CPG experience required) preferably in food industry. 5+ years in Marketing CM/similar level.

Strong P&L knowledge

Strong proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, including experience with IRI, Nielsen, and Spins.

Excellent verbal, written communication skills and presentation skills.

Ability to accomplish tasks in a timely manner and meet deadlines.

Ability to travel.

Bilingual in Korean required

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