How To Become A Vice President & General Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a vice president & general manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

As a vice president and general manager, it is your responsibility to supervise the business's operations while implementing policies and regulations. You are to provide support direction and training to employees about their assigned job responsibilities. Also, it is expected that you evaluate the performance of the employee and provide appropriate feedback.

Developing marketing and business strategies to achieve corporate revenue goals is also a part of their responsibilities. More importantly, you are expected to assist in managing administrative, human resources, financial services, and logistics to support the company's operations. Furthermore, you are expected to maintain consistency and clarity in all business communications. Attending team meetings to discuss and update recommendations is also a part of your duty.

Usually, vice presidents and general managers study management or marketing, or business. To qualify for this role, you must hold at least a bachelor's degree in these relevant fields. An average vice president and general manager make a salary of $203,219 in a year.

ScoreVice President & General ManagerUS Average

Salary

9.5

Avg. Salary $172,487

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.29%

Black or African American 6.09%

Hispanic or Latino 14.90%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.93%

Gender

female 10.91%

male 89.09%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a vice president & general manager

Explore vice president & general manager education requirements

Most common vice president & general manager degrees

Bachelor's

72.3 %

Master's

17.9 %

Associate

5.7 %

Start to develop specific vice president & general manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	11.71%
R	7.13%
Revenue Growth	6.90%
Product Development	6.63%
Financial Performance	5.92%

Complete relevant vice president & general manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vice president & general managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a vice president & general manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vice president & general manager resumes.

Gain additional vice president & general manager certifications

Vice president & general manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific vice president & general manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for vice president & general managers include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP).

More About Certifications

Research vice president & general manager duties and responsibilities

Process and manage A/P, A/R, and payroll.
Purchase and implement QuickBooks, manage accounts payable and receivable.
Manage crude oil operations and traders in Singapore, Tokyo, London and Dallas.
Manage front of house staff to ensure proper service to dining guests, POS maintenance.

Prepare your vice president & general manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vice president & general manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a vice president & general manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Vice President & General Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Vice President & General Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Vice President & General Manager resume.

Apply for vice president & general manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a vice president & general manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average vice president & general manager salary

The average Vice President & General Manager salary in the United States is $172,487 per year or $83 per hour. Vice president & general manager salaries range between $108,000 and $273,000 per year.

Average Vice President & General Manager Salary

$172,487 Yearly

$82.93 hourly