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The differences between general managers and branch managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a general manager, becoming a branch manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a general manager has an average salary of $71,581, which is higher than the $56,291 average annual salary of a branch manager.
The top three skills for a general manager include customer service, cleanliness and food safety. The most important skills for a branch manager are customer satisfaction, business development, and branch management.
| General Manager | Branch Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $71,581 | $56,291 |
| Hourly rate | $34.41 | $27.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 442,690 | 333,883 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.25 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
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.
Branch managers oversee the company's field office. This position is usually present in industries such as banking and food service. Branch managers are responsible for all aspects of the branch operations, including, but not limited to, finances, marketing, quality control, and human resources. They ensure that the goals of the branch are met in the most efficient way possible. They balance the needs of both the organization and the employees in the department. Branch managers are also expected to have a hand in training the employees to be useful members of the organization.
General managers and branch managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Manager | Branch Manager | |
| Average salary | $71,581 | $56,291 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $126,000 | Between $39,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | FNB |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between a general manager and a branch manager in terms of educational background:
| General Manager | Branch Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between general managers' and branch managers' demographics:
| General Manager | Branch Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% | Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |