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General manager vs district manager

The differences between general managers and district 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 general manager and a district manager. Additionally, a district manager has an average salary of $96,909, 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 district manager are customer service, multi-unit, and customer satisfaction.

General manager vs district manager overview

General ManagerDistrict Manager
Yearly salary$71,581$96,909
Hourly rate$34.41$46.59
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs442,690373,525
Job satisfaction4.255
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4444
Years of experience66

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 district manager do?

District managers oversee the operations of a group of stores or areas covered by the assigned district. They are responsible for ensuring that the sales, marketing, quality control, and people management of their community align with the company's direction. They review the district's financial statement, draft ways to improve the district's key metrics, and mitigate any challenges that may come their way. They are also responsible for hiring store or area managers and training them to ensure that they will be significant contributors to the organization.

General manager vs district manager salary

General managers and district managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

General ManagerDistrict Manager
Average salary$71,581$96,909
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $126,000Between $63,000 And $146,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateHawaiiDelaware
Best paying companyNVIDIARegeneron
Best paying industryManufacturingPharmaceutical

Differences between general manager and district manager education

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

General ManagerDistrict Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

General manager vs district manager demographics

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

General ManagerDistrict Manager
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 70.7% Female, 29.3%Male, 70.9% Female, 29.1%
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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between general manager and district manager 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

District manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead charge to get Erie branch ISO [] certify.
  • Manage store location and fill ADM duties when necessary.
  • Hire, develop, and manage depot sales staff; promote consulting, training and administration.
  • Assist in managing contract delivery drivers to ensure that all routes are covered and newspapers are delivered on time.
  • Manage shipping, receiving, material handling, refuse returns, sortation departments, forklift, PTL, and calendar operations.
  • Monitor and manage sales activity using company specific CRM.
  • Show more

General manager vs district manager skills

Common general manager skills
  • Customer Service, 20%
  • Cleanliness, 18%
  • Food Safety, 7%
  • Guest Service, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Math, 4%
Common district manager skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Multi-Unit, 7%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Financial Performance, 5%
  • Performance Management, 4%

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