Selling great food face to face: cheese shops, fish counters, delis, farmers markets, wine shops, and grocery stores, plus the buyers who pick what ends up on shelves.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Grocery Category Manager: Manages a whole category (like snacks or produce) for a grocery chain's strategy and profits. Typical pay $115k.
Grocery Chain Regional VP: Leads operations for dozens of grocery stores across a region. Typical pay $180k.
Specialty Food Importer / Distributor: Finds special foods abroad, like Italian olive oil or Japanese snacks, and sells them to U.S. stores and restaurants. Typical pay $115k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Grocery Store Manager: Runs a grocery store, from staffing and sales to food safety and inventory. Typical pay $70k.
Specialty Food Buyer: Chooses which products a grocery chain or specialty store sells and negotiates with suppliers. Typical pay $70k.
Food Co-op General Manager: Leads a member-owned grocery cooperative, reporting to an elected member board. Typical pay $85k.
Specialty Food Shop Owner: Owns a cheese shop, butcher shop, wine shop, spice store, or gourmet market. Typical pay $65k.
Wine & Spirits Shop Owner: Owns a wine, beer, or spirits shop and chooses every bottle on the shelf. Typical pay $65k.
Grocery Meat Department Manager: Runs a grocery store's meat counter: cutting, ordering, displays, and food safety. Typical pay $58k.
Food Hall Manager: Runs a food hall that houses 10 to 40 small food vendors, choosing vendors, managing shared spaces, cleaning and events. Typical pay $75k.
Starter: fastest way in
Deli Clerk: Slices meats and cheeses, makes sandwiches, and serves customers at a deli counter. Typical pay $33k.
Cheesemonger: Sells, cuts, and cares for fine cheeses and helps customers choose them. Typical pay $38k.
Fishmonger: Buys, cuts, and sells fresh seafood at markets and fish counters. Typical pay $36k.
Produce Clerk: Stocks and displays fruits and vegetables at grocery stores and markets. Typical pay $32k.
Farmers Market Manager: Runs a farmers market: vendors, layout, rules, events, and community programs. Typical pay $45k.
Charcutier: Makes cured meats like salami, prosciutto, and pâté by hand. Typical pay $45k.
Olive Oil Sommelier: Tastes, grades, and teaches about olive oils for shops, importers, and producers. Typical pay $50k.
Grocery Personal Shopper: Picks and packs grocery orders that customers place online for pickup or delivery. Typical pay $33k.
Appetizing Counter Slicer: Hand-slices smoked salmon, sturgeon and other fish paper-thin at old-style Jewish appetizing shops, serving customers at the counter. Typical pay $48k.
Retail Wine & Spirits Specialist: Helps shoppers choose wine, beer and spirits in a liquor store, wine shop or grocery wine department, and keeps the shelves stocked. Typical pay $36k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.