How to become a cafe or restaurant manager in Australia
Cafe and Restaurant Managers organise and control the operations of cafes, restaurants and related establishments to provide dining and catering services.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the cafe and restaurant managers group are projected to grow 7.2% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Planning menus in consultation with chefs
- Planning and organising special functions
- Arranging the purchasing and pricing of goods according to budget
- Maintaining records of stock levels and financial transactions
- Ensuring dining facilities comply with health regulations and are clean, functional and of suitable appearance
- Conferring with customers to assess their satisfaction with meals and service
How to get there
What it usually takes. A diploma or advanced diploma. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the cafe and restaurant managers group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 28% a degree or higher, 16% a diploma, 17% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria6 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 4 of 6 matches. Search every course.
NSW and ACT8 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Tourism Hospitality and Events · Newcastle68.35Diplomas and other ways in
Bachelor of Business - TAFE Diploma of Hospitality Management · Wollongong70.20Showing 5 of 8 matches. Search every course.
Queensland16 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (Program under review.) · UQ, St Lucia73.75Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 7 of 16 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia3 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Business in Hospitality and Tourism Management · Murdoch, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management · ECU, City70.00 guaranteedMatched on course names, 33 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Enterprising, Conventional, Realistic.
From O*NET ratings for "Food Service Managers", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.