Restaurant manager salary in 2026
Median pay, hourly rates, top-paying cities, and live restaurant manager jobs from MAJC's coverage area. Numbers below combine U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with 223 active postings. Hiring? Use the free restaurant manager job description template.
Median (national)
$63,060
$30.32/hr · BLS May 2024
Top 10 percent
$104K+
$49.87/hr effective
MAJC posted median
$70,000
From 68 disclosed
National pay for restaurant managers
$63,060median, full year
About $30.32/hr. Top 10 percent earn $104K+.
Of 68 MAJC postings disclosing salary in this category, median is $70,000. Source: actual job postings
BLS Occupation 11-9051Food Service Managers, May 2024. Source
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How restaurant managers push pay above median
- Volume + format leverage. High-cover-count concepts (200+ covers, multi-outlet hotels) pay more than small independents — same role, different scope.
- Specialized knowledge. Wine or spirits certification, specific cuisine training, or technical systems (POS, inventory) all command premiums.
- Bilingual fluency. English/Spanish in the U.S. hospitality market is consistently worth a meaningful bump.
- Tenure + leadership. "Lead" or "Head" prefixes typically signal 15–30% over an "Associate" version of the same role.
- Disclosed-salary postings. Filter MAJC for restaurant manager jobs with disclosed pay — those tend to be the ones that compete on number, not vibes.
Top-paying live restaurant manager jobs right now
Highest disclosed salaries across 223 active restaurant manager postings.
- $141k to $225k
General Manager
- $141k to $225k
General Manager - New Michelin Star Trained Chef Owned Concept
- $165k to $180k
General Manager
- $126k to $173k
Assistant General Manager
Frequently asked
- What is the average restaurant manager salary?
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median annual pay for food service managers is $63,060 ($30.32/hr) as of May 2024. The top 10% earn $104K or more.
- How much does a restaurant manager make per hour?
- BLS reports a median hourly rate of $30.32/hr for food service managers. Tipped roles (server, bartender, busser) can substantially exceed the base hourly with gratuities.
- Which cities pay restaurant managers the most?
- Major metros (Miami, Houston, and high-tourist coastal cities) typically pay restaurant managers 10–20% above the national median. See the city breakdown above for live disclosed rates.
- What skills increase restaurant manager pay the most?
- In hospitality, the biggest pay drivers are: specialized cuisine or beverage knowledge, fluency in a second language (Spanish in the U.S.), high-volume service experience, and proven leadership of a team. POS proficiency (Toast, Tock, Resy) and inventory or P&L responsibility also push pay above median.
- How do I find a restaurant manager job that pays above median?
- Filter MAJC's restaurant manager listings by "Salary listed" to surface postings with disclosed pay, then sort by salary. Hotels and high-cover-count restaurants tend to disclose more often than smaller independents. Browse all 223 restaurant manager listings below.