Bar manager vs general manager

The differences between bar managers and general managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a bar manager, becoming a general manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a general manager has an average salary of $71,581, which is higher than the $46,828 average annual salary of a bar manager.

The top three skills for a bar manager include customer service, wine and beverage orders. The most important skills for a general manager are customer service, cleanliness, and food safety.

Bar manager vs general manager overview

	Bar Manager	General Manager
Yearly salary	$46,828	$71,581
Hourly rate	$22.51	$34.41
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	165,633	442,690
Job satisfaction	-	4.25
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	4	6

What does a bar manager do?

Bar managers are also called bar owners or supervisors of bar establishments. The managers are in charge of managing customer complaints, ensuring stocks in the bar, and in scheduling the jobs of employees. They oversee the overall operations of the bar, manage its staff, and ensure that the standards of products and services are met. They maintain the licensure of liquor and make sure that their staff follows the local regulations. Also, they see to it that customers are served promptly.

What does a general manager do?

A general manager is responsible for handling the overall operations in the business. General managers manage the staff tasks efficiently, monitor the productivity and efficiency of the work environment, implement new strategies to improve the business performance, recognize the team's best efforts, and effective allocation of budget resources. A general manager must have excellent communication, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills to identify areas of improvement in handling customer complaints, connecting with vendors and other lines of businesses that will direct the company towards its successful objectives.

Bar manager vs general manager salary

Bar managers and general managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bar Manager	General Manager
Average salary	$46,828	$71,581
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $65,000	Between $40,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	Greenwich, CT	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Greenwich Country Club	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between bar manager and general manager education

There are a few differences between a bar manager and a general manager in terms of educational background:

	Bar Manager	General Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	University of Pennsylvania

Bar manager vs general manager demographics

Here are the differences between bar managers' and general managers' demographics:

	Bar Manager	General Manager
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0%	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between bar manager and general manager duties and responsibilities

Bar manager example responsibilities.

Manage liquor and wine inventory and develop cocktail menus taking advantage of fresh ingredients.
Inventory and order bar stock and manage FOH staff, as well as ensured food quality and timeliness of service.
Manage front-of-house operations for upscale wine bar and restaurant, including assisting in monitoring and management of inventory and finances.
Perform typical bartending duties including all aspects of customer service.
Direct all bartending operations as well as ordering and inventory management.
Help with shift movement according seniority while abiding by the bartender and culinary CBA.

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General manager example responsibilities.

Generate positive EBITDA and improve cash flow by managing costs and inventory.
Manage all recruiting and training efforts, and develop systems to track ROI comparison results.
Work as a FOH AGM and train to manage all staff functions including training, hiring, food and labor controls.
Develop yearly budget for multiple hotels that include revenue, labor, fix and variable costs to achieve overall EBITDA goal.
Task primarily with building logistics infrastructure, managing operational expenses, and supporting start up strategies.
Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.

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Bar manager vs general manager skills

Common bar manager skills

Customer Service, 21%
Wine, 17%
Beverage Orders, 7%
Bartending, 5%
Payroll, 5%
POS, 5%

Common general manager skills

Customer Service, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Food Safety, 7%
Guest Service, 4%
Payroll, 4%
Math, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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