Server manager vs general manager

The differences between server managers 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 server manager, 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 $61,639 average annual salary of a server manager.

The top three skills for a server manager include customer service, payroll and POS. The most important skills for a general manager are customer service, cleanliness, and food safety.

Server manager vs general manager overview

	Server Manager	General Manager
Yearly salary	$61,639	$71,581
Hourly rate	$29.63	$34.41
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	153,999	442,690
Job satisfaction	-	4.25
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	4	6

What does a server manager do?

As the name entails, server managers are responsible for managing and overseeing the serving areas in restaurants. This role is associated with several tasks, including checking the appearance of servers, checking a server's knowledge of the restaurant's daily specials and menu items, and greeting the customers. Additional tasks may include assisting new serving crews and evaluating their self-reliance and capabilities, managing the schedule of servers, and organizing staff training. The skills needed for this position may include excellent customer service skills, leadership skills, and communication skills.

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.

Server manager vs general manager salary

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

	Server Manager	General Manager
Average salary	$61,639	$71,581
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $162,000	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 server manager and general manager education

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

	Server Manager	General Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Server manager vs general manager demographics

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

	Server Manager	General Manager
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.6% White, 58.0% 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 server manager and general manager duties and responsibilities

Server manager example responsibilities.

Manage operations of a successful restaurant/hotel business including leadership of client and supplier relationships.
Manage technical support, business analysis, project management, application development and support, training, and facilitation.
Supervise all areas within the restaurant and train all FOH staff in policies and procedures.
Monitor food distribution and restaurant maintenance of FOH and BOH -Handling of financial duties and perform administrative activities
Provide server duties by seating, taking orders and serving guests food and beverage orders using a POS computer service.
General serving and bartending responsibilities.

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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.

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Server manager vs general manager skills

Common server manager skills

Customer Service, 21%
Payroll, 7%
POS, 6%
Customer Complaints, 6%
Fine Dining, 4%
Food Orders, 3%

Common general manager skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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