How much do restaurant managers make in 2026?
Restaurant managers are counted in the BLS food service managers series: OEWS May 2025 puts SOC 11-9051 at a national median of $69,390 a year ($33.36 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $45,960 and the top 10% at $107,640. The series pools restaurant managers with bar, banquet and institutional food service managers, so it is a food-and-beverage management band rather than a restaurant-specific figure. Segment explains most of the spread. Quick service and fast casual management sits in the lower half, with tight labour models and high volume. Casual dining sits around the middle. Upscale casual, fine dining and high-volume hotel restaurants sit at the top, where wine and beverage knowledge, guest expectations and cheque averages are all higher. On tips: the OEWS wage measure includes tips reported to the employer, and restaurant managers in many operations participate in tip pools or service charge distributions, particularly in banquet-heavy and upscale settings. It is honest to add that cash tips in food and beverage are systematically under-reported, so published wage data understates cash income across this industry — a qualitative fact worth knowing, not a number anyone can put a figure on. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% through 2034 with roughly 42,000 openings a year. → Full restaurant manager career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $69,390 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Restaurant Managers earn a national median $69,390/yr ($33.36/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9051); the P10 to P90 range is $45,960 to $107,640.
- Segment explains most of the spread: quick service and fast casual in the lower half, casual dining in the middle, upscale and fine dining at the top.
- OEWS includes tips reported to the employer, and managers in many operations share in tip pools or service charge distributions — while cash tips across food and beverage are systematically under-reported.
- The published figure is an annual salary for hours that frequently exceed fifty a week, which changes the effective hourly comparison substantially.
US Restaurant Manager Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do restaurant managers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 11-9051; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9051, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a restaurant manager earn at each career stage?
Restaurant management pay follows volume, cheque average and profit accountability. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 11-9051.
By State
Which states pay restaurant managers the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national food service manager median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Restaurant management pay tracks local cheque averages, minimum wage law and whether the state has a tip credit, all of which change the economics of an operation more than a general wage index reflects.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($79,800), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay restaurant managers the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. High cheque-average dining markets pay managers well above their state's general level.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a restaurant manager’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does restaurant manager pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Restaurant Managers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify restaurant manager wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a restaurant manager actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Restaurant Manager Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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