Restaurant Manager salary
Typical pay is $67,500/yr. Based on 82 job postings from the last 12 months.
What the range looks like
- 10th percentile Entry level / starting out
- $50,000/yr
- 25th percentile Below typical
- $57,625/yr
- Median Half earn more, half earn less
- $67,500/yr
- 75th percentile Above typical
- $83,750/yr
- 90th percentile Experienced / specialised
- $100,000/yr
Source: 82 LocalWork job postings nationwide from the last 12 months that stated pay. Advertised pay, not verified earnings.
See what's hiring now
82 open restaurant managers on LocalWork right now.
What a restaurant manager does
Restaurant managers run the whole operation — staffing, cost control, service standards and compliance. It is the first salaried role in most food service careers.
Day-to-day duties
- Hire, schedule and develop the team
- Control food and labour cost against targets
- Maintain health and safety compliance
- Handle escalated customer issues
- Manage stock, ordering and suppliers
Skills employers look for
- Reading a P&L and acting on it
- Building a team that stays
- Scheduling to forecast demand
- Composure under commercial pressure
Requirements
- Supervisory experience in food service
- Food safety manager certification (ServSafe or equivalent)
- Some employers prefer a degree, most do not
- Long and irregular hours
How to get started
- 1 Work the line and front of house
- 2 Move to shift supervisor
- 3 Take an assistant manager role
- 4 Progress to general manager, then multi-site
Job outlook: Steady demand, and one of the better-paid roles reachable from an hourly start with no degree.
Common questions about restaurant managers
How much does a restaurant manager make?
The median pay for a restaurant manager nationally is $67,500 a year — about $32.45 an hour. That is based on 82 job postings on LocalWork from the last 12 months that stated pay, so it reflects what employers are advertising rather than verified earnings. Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.
What is the pay range for restaurant managers?
Most restaurant managers nationally earn between $50,000 a year and $100,000 a year — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.
How much do entry-level restaurant managers make?
Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $50,000 a year. A quarter of restaurant managers earn below $57,625 a year, so the first year or two typically sits in that band.
What do the highest-paid restaurant managers earn?
The top 10% of restaurant managers nationally earn about $100,000 a year or more, roughly 1.5× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — certifications, supervisory duties, specialised skills or premium shifts.
What does a restaurant manager do?
Restaurant managers run the whole operation — staffing, cost control, service standards and compliance. It is the first salaried role in most food service careers. Day to day, that means hire, schedule and develop the team, control food and labour cost against targets, maintain health and safety compliance and handle escalated customer issues.
How do you become a restaurant manager?
The usual route is: (1) work the line and front of house, (2) move to shift supervisor, (3) take an assistant manager role, (4) progress to general manager, then multi-site. Employers typically look for supervisory experience in food service, food safety manager certification (ServSafe or equivalent) and some employers prefer a degree, most do not.
Do you need a certification to work as a restaurant manager?
Usually not. Most employers hire restaurant managers without a specific licence, though food safety manager certification (ServSafe or equivalent) will widen your options and often your pay.
Are restaurant managers in demand?
There are currently 82 open restaurant managers listed on LocalWork. Steady demand, and one of the better-paid roles reachable from an hourly start with no degree.
Where are restaurant managers most in demand?
See the metro and rural areas with the highest concentration of this work, ranked from Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
Restaurant Manager pay by city
Similar roles
Pay figures are estimates for guidance only, not an offer or guarantee. Advertised ranges come from job postings on LocalWork; government figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Actual pay depends on experience, certifications, shift and employer.