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General manager vs chief operating officer

The differences between general managers and chief operating officers 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 chief operating officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief operating officer has an average salary of $136,604, which is higher than the $71,581 average annual salary of a general manager.

The top three skills for a general manager include customer service, cleanliness and food safety. The most important skills for a chief operating officer are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.

General manager vs chief operating officer overview

General ManagerChief Operating Officer
Yearly salary$71,581$136,604
Hourly rate$34.41$65.67
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs442,690128,993
Job satisfaction4.25-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4452
Years of experience6-

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.

What does a chief operating officer do?

A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO. Among their duties include developing strategies and guidelines, reviewing reports, performing assessments, and implementing the company's policies, standards, and regulations. Additionally, they lead and empower staff to reach goals, helping solve issues and concerns when any arise.

General manager vs chief operating officer salary

General managers and chief operating officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

General ManagerChief Operating Officer
Average salary$71,581$136,604
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $126,000Between $81,000 And $229,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAJersey City, NJ
Highest paying stateHawaiiNew Jersey
Best paying companyNVIDIABaker McKenzie
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between general manager and chief operating officer education

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

General ManagerChief Operating Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

General manager vs chief operating officer demographics

Here are the differences between general managers' and chief operating officers' demographics:

General ManagerChief Operating Officer
Average age4452
Gender ratioMale, 70.7% Female, 29.3%Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage10%12%

Differences between general manager and chief operating officer duties and responsibilities

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.
  • Show more

Chief operating officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the RFP process and present investment packages to local and regional lenders to procure acquisition and long term debt financing.
  • Develop and integrate care services, achieve and maintain JCAHO accreditation.
  • Attain ISO registration, resulting in excellent documentation and adherence to operational and administrative process controls.
  • Manage the implementation of a new supply base global ERP system that reduce inventory and enable just-in-time delivery.
  • Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
  • Manage all financial functions including controlling/accounting, board and regulatory reporting, treasury and cash management, and asset/liability management.
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General manager vs chief operating officer skills

Common general manager skills
  • Customer Service, 20%
  • Cleanliness, 18%
  • Food Safety, 7%
  • Guest Service, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Math, 4%
Common chief operating officer skills
  • Healthcare, 11%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Oversight, 7%
  • Financial Management, 7%
  • Business Strategies, 6%
  • Human Resources, 6%

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