Restaurant owner vs general manager

The differences between restaurant owners and general managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a restaurant owner, becoming a general manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a general manager has an average salary of $71,581, which is higher than the $48,167 average annual salary of a restaurant owner.

The top three skills for a restaurant owner include customer service, menu planning and food safety. The most important skills for a general manager are customer service, cleanliness, and food safety.

Restaurant owner vs general manager overview

	Restaurant Owner	General Manager
Yearly salary	$48,167	$71,581
Hourly rate	$23.16	$34.41
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	175,102	442,690
Job satisfaction	-	4.25
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	4	6

Restaurant owner vs general manager salary

Restaurant owners and general managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Restaurant Owner	General Manager
Average salary	$48,167	$71,581
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $63,000	Between $40,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between restaurant owner and general manager education

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

	Restaurant Owner	General Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	University of Pennsylvania

Restaurant owner vs general manager demographics

Here are the differences between restaurant owners' and general managers' demographics:

	Restaurant Owner	General Manager
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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 restaurant owner and general manager duties and responsibilities

Restaurant owner example responsibilities.

Manage FOH and BOH for a high volume family casual cafe.
License Maryland home improvement contractor managing a small home improvement business that specializes in doors and windows.
Implement computerized POS system and oversee all financial reporting, including setting up internal controls over cash and tip reporting.
Verify POS inventory versus physical inventory to ensure accuracy and monitor theft or inefficient use of products.
Perform market research analysis/comparison/trends/consultation for current and prospective clients /weekly PowerPoint presentations Accomplishments/Rewards.
Control both FOH and BOH operations and proactively solve issues.

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.

Restaurant owner vs general manager skills

Common restaurant owner skills

Customer Service, 21%
Menu Planning, 18%
Food Safety, 10%
Inventory Control, 4%
Restaurant Operations, 3%
POS, 2%

Common general manager skills

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