$Who Earns What

How much does a general manager make?

US General and Operations Managers

Answer: A typical general manager in the United States makes $105,770 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$105,770

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 3.5 million people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$50,090
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$105,770
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$253,390
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

54 of 100
more than half

General manager pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

General manager pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$50,090$105,770$253,390about 3.5 million
States where general managers earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
New Jersey$173,690about 53,000
District of Columbia$168,000about 36,000
South Dakota$137,400about 4,000
Connecticut$137,220about 39,000
Delaware$137,220about 5,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can differ with a manager’s experience and the industry they work in. It also varies by location, so similar jobs in different parts of the country may pay differently.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$105,770
New Jersey$173,690
District of Columbia$168,000
South Dakota$137,400
Connecticut$137,220
Delaware$137,220
Kentucky$79,370
Missouri$79,300
Arkansas$74,050

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a general manager do?

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

What's a typical day like?

They review work data and budgets, meet department leads, and set staff schedules and assignments. Then they track progress, solve problems, and coordinate plans across teams.

How to get this job

In the U.S., many earn a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, then gain years of relevant work experience. They often move up from team-lead or lower-level management jobs; some employers prefer a graduate degree.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

Some general managers may step onto the sales floor to help customers, stock shelves, or count inventory—not just sit in an office.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY