Division chief vs general manager

The differences between division chiefs and general managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a division chief and a general manager. Additionally, a division chief has an average salary of $86,913, which is higher than the $71,581 average annual salary of a general manager.

The top three skills for a division chief include oversight, rehabilitation and human resources. The most important skills for a general manager are customer service, cleanliness, and food safety.

Division chief vs general manager overview

	Division Chief	General Manager
Yearly salary	$86,913	$71,581
Hourly rate	$41.79	$34.41
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	14,138	442,690
Job satisfaction	-	4.25
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a division chief do?

Division chiefs are professionals who are responsible for leading and managing subordinates of a particular division of a department. These chiefs are required to conduct administrative and personnel transactions as well as review their legislation and technical program activities. In the military, division chiefs are required to supervise military personnel while implementing military personnel management operations within the command. Division chiefs must also organize training programs to ensure the skill, technical, and professional development of all marines.

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.

Division chief vs general manager salary

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

	Division Chief	General Manager
Average salary	$86,913	$71,581
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $203,000	Between $40,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Hawaii
Best paying company	Connecticut Children's Medical Center	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between division chief and general manager education

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

	Division Chief	General Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Division chief vs general manager demographics

Here are the differences between division chiefs' and general managers' demographics:

	Division Chief	General Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5%	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 division chief and general manager duties and responsibilities

Division chief example responsibilities.

Protect valuable banking, insurance and healthcare customer relationships while managing client global communication needs and adhering to regulatory compliance standards.
Provide oversight to investigations as required, to include record searches, interviews and automate information retrieval.
Re-Envision and realign important strategic relationships among DOD senior leadership to ensure unify communications and decision making.
Provide oversight on all policies pertaining to organizational safety, instructor certification program, and special recognition programs.
Research and develop country cooperation plan to facilitate partnerships and ensure efforts are synchronized with other DoD agencies.
Protect valuable banking, insurance and healthcare customer relationships while managing client global communication needs and adhering to regulatory compliance standards.

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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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Division chief vs general manager skills

Common division chief skills

Oversight, 24%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Human Resources, 9%
Professional Development, 6%
Training Programs, 5%
Logistical Support, 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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