General manager vs multi-unit manager

The differences between general managers and multi-unit 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 multi-unit manager. Additionally, a general manager has an average salary of $71,581, which is higher than the $64,703 average annual salary of a multi-unit manager.

The top three skills for a general manager include customer service, cleanliness and food safety. The most important skills for a multi-unit manager are customer service, work ethic, and product knowledge.

General manager vs multi-unit manager overview

	General Manager	Multi-Unit Manager
Yearly salary	$71,581	$64,703
Hourly rate	$34.41	$31.11
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	442,690	369,227
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 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 multi-unit manager do?

A multi-unit manager is responsible for supervising multiple departments and overseeing various process sectors within an organization. Multi-unit managers handle the budget limitations for each unit, allocating adequate resources to support business functions and client requirements. They recruit and train new staff, review compensation details with the human resources department, respond to employees' concerns, and facilitate training and programs that would maximize the staff's productivity and efficiency. A multi-unit manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in determining and achieving goals for the team and ensuring the highest customer satisfaction.

General manager vs multi-unit manager salary

General managers and multi-unit managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Manager	Multi-Unit Manager
Average salary	$71,581	$64,703
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $126,000	Between $48,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Colorado
Best paying company	NVIDIA	American Residential Services
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Retail

Differences between general manager and multi-unit manager education

There are a few differences between a general manager and a multi-unit manager in terms of educational background:

	General Manager	Multi-Unit 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

General manager vs multi-unit manager demographics

Here are the differences between general managers' and multi-unit managers' demographics:

	General Manager	Multi-Unit Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%	Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2%
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, 6.3% 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 general manager and multi-unit 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.

Multi-unit manager example responsibilities.

Ensure completion of quarterly projections; and manage labor demon forecasting and payroll and talent acquisition efforts.
Create implementation plans to support execution of Starbucks initiatives to achieve both operational excellence and business results.
Maintain cleanliness of the kitchen, as well as the equipment on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Perform human-resource-management activities involving unemployment insurance, benefits, payroll, and new-employee hiring.
Train assistant managers and employees in operations of the restaurant that exceed quality service and cleanliness expectations.
Create implementation plans to support execution of Starbucks initiatives to achieve both operational excellence and business results.

General manager vs multi-unit manager skills

Common general manager skills

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

Common multi-unit manager skills

Customer Service, 27%
Work Ethic, 20%
Product Knowledge, 11%
Food Safety, 3%
Payroll, 3%
Restaurant Operations, 3%

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General Manager vs Multi-Unit Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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