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What does a Director earn in food and beverage? Our placement data gives a direct answer: a median of $195,000 in first-year cash, with the middle half of offers between $161,000 and $237,000. The more useful answer is the whole ladder, because the step between rungs explains more about pay than any other variable we track.
Director salary is the question we hear most from both sides of a search. Companies want to know whether their band is competitive. Candidates want to know whether an offer is fair. The 2026 edition of our research report, The Price of Talent, answers it from 1,335 placements Protis Global closed for consumer brands between 2007 and October 2026. This post covers the first finding: the org chart is the price list.
The CPG career ladder in cash
Median first-year cash at placement (base salary plus target bonus plus sign-on bonus) across all sectors, 2019 to 2026:
Entry level (rep or analyst): $102,000
Manager: $131,750
Senior Manager: $154,625
Director: $195,000
Senior Director: $260,000
Vice President: $291,875
EVP and SVP: $391,875
C-level: $442,500
Each step up the ladder is worth 13 to 50 percent more than the one below it. Base salary alone runs $115,000 at Manager, $162,500 at Director, $232,500 at Vice President and $325,000 at C-level.
The VP seat is the biggest step
Director to Vice President is a 50 percent increase at the median. It is the largest step on the ladder below the C-suite, and it is why VP searches are the most contested in the market. A Director who is ready for the next rung has every reason to take a call.
EVP and SVP titles land only 34 percent above VP, and the spread is wide. An SVP at a 50-person challenger brand often prices like a Director at a large company. Title is not comp. Scope is.
The C-suite is a different sport. Cash packages alone median $442,500, the interquartile range runs from $365,000 to $600,000, and the top of our range reaches seven figures before any equity.
Why level beats everything else
Sector, function and geography all look important in a simple average. Hold level constant and most of those premiums shrink or disappear. Director medians across food, non-alcoholic beverage, wine and spirits, and beer sit within $14,000 of each other. Director medians across five U.S. regions sit within $8,000. Finance looks like the best-paid function only because more of its placements were senior.
So when a candidate's title and your level structure disagree, price the scope, not the business card. Read the role for what it owns: P&L, headcount, channels, geography. Then place it on the ladder and price it there.
How to use the ladder
For employers: benchmark against closed offers, not survey responses. If your Director band tops out below $195,000 in cash, expect to lose finalists to it. Build in the 25 percent target bonus that Director offers now carry.
For candidates: know your rung, your scope and your sector's bonus norm. The ladder is your starting point, not your ceiling. A move from Director to VP should come with the step the market pays for it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median Director salary in CPG?
In Protis Global placements closed from 2019 to 2026, Director placements median $195,000 in first-year cash (base plus target bonus plus sign-on) and $162,500 in base salary alone. The middle half of offers fall between $161,000 and $237,000 in cash.
How much more does a VP earn than a Director?
About 50 percent at the median: $291,875 against $195,000 in first-year cash. It is the largest step on the ladder below the C-suite.
Does sector change the Director salary?
Less than most people expect. Director medians across food, non-alcoholic beverage, wine and spirits, and beer sit within $14,000 of each other, a 7 percent spread. Restaurant and hospitality groups are the exception, at a $110,000 median.
The full report, The Price of Talent 2026, is free to download at protisglobal.com/price-of-talent-2026. If you want the analysis run against your org chart, your offer, or your next search, talk to our team.
