Few industries offer the astounding metaphorical ladder-climbing opportunities of the restaurant industry—where dishwashers and servers can work their way up to restaurant managers. This kind of advancement is a reality, not a fairy tale. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, 80 percent of all restaurant owners began their industry careers in entry-level positions like these.

Restaurant management professionals are in high demand as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 210,680 professionals employed as ‘food service managers,’ including restaurant managers, in May 2021. The pay isn’t too shabby, either—especially for a career requiring little more than accumulated experience. Of course, postsecondary education in hospitality or food service management doesn’t hurt your chance of securing the best-paying positions.

Want to learn more about restaurant management compensation?

Here are fifteen statistics culled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hcareers, and several online pay aggregating websites*.

1. Average salary range for a restaurant manager: $36,568 – $78,151

2. Median salary for a restaurant manager: $57,886

3. Average salary range for restaurant manager positions posted on Hcareers.com: $35,000 – $100,000

4. Restaurant managers with Masters degrees earn on average $56,207 annually

5. Restaurant managers with Bachelors degrees earn on average of $54,368 annually

6. 45.5% of all restaurant managers are women. They earn an average of $47,779 annually

7. 54.5% of all restaurant managers are men. They earn an average of $49,779 annually

8. Average salary range for a restaurant manager with less than one year of experience: $23,386 – $42,037

9. Years of experience required to earn the highest restaurant manager salaries: 20 years or more

10. Average salary range for a restaurant manager in a company with 50 to 199 employees: $28,826 – $51,712

11. Average salary range for a restaurant manager in a company with 5,000 to 19,999 employees: $33,996 – $56,223

12. The city with the highest average restaurant manager salaries: San Francisco, CA – $61,771

13. Three states with the highest restaurant manager salaries: New Hampshire, California and Alaska

14. Three degrees with the highest restaurant manager salaries: BA Psychology, BS Restaurant, and Food Service Management, BS Business Administration

15. Segment of the industry with the lowest average salary range for restaurant managers: Bar and nightclub

*https://www.zippia.com/restaurant-manager-jobs/salary/

*https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/restaurant-manager-salary