McDonald’s – the world’s most famous brand. It’s hard to escape catching sight of a brightly lit restaurant with the large ‘M’ logo displayed wherever you go. There are over 38,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 119 countries worldwide. It can be considered the greatest fast-food brand in history!
McDonald’s employs a whopping 200,000 workforce consisting of corporate employees and restaurant/service staff who are the majority. If you’re interested in a job at McDonald’s restaurants, you can consider being a restaurant manager.
The burning question is how much does a McDonald’s manager make? Is the pay good? If you’re looking for answers to these questions, you’ve landed on the right article! Read on to know more about McDonald’s manager salary, benefits, responsibilities (and more…)
How Much Does A McDonald’s Manager Make?
On average, a McDonald’s restaurant manager makes $43,000 annually. The restaurant manager is the highest-paid employee and the top position in a McDonald’s restaurant; they are responsible for managing all restaurant operations.
Unlike most service crew members like cashiers, kitchen assistants, and baristas who are paid hourly wages, McDonald’s restaurant managers are compensated with a fixed/base pay. If you were to calculate a restaurant manager’s hourly pay, it would be $21 per hour which is significantly greater than $8.50 for an entry-level restaurant position.
It is important to note that the salary varies depending on which part of the US you are working in. For example, in California, a restaurant manager is paid $40,000 whereas the pay is $42,500 in Alabama and Florida $2,500 more than in California. Hence, the pay varies but hovers around the national average of $43,000.
If you’re considering applying as a restaurant manager, you can expect your pay to range from $40k to $43k and above. Anything drastically below $40,000 should raise some alarm bells; it’s possible that the franchise owner or hiring person is paying below the average and competitive rate for a McDonald’s managerial position.
You might be interested: How Much Does McDonald’s Make A Day?

What Perks & Benefits Can You Enjoy As A McDonald’s Manager?
As a restaurant manager, you are entitled to a number of benefits to enjoy on top of those that general employees possess. Have a look at the benefits list with the common perks you’ll get as a restaurant manager.
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Dental insurance
- 9 paid holidays
- Flexible spending accounts
- Free uniforms
Since this is a non-corporate job, there are some privileges you can’t receive like the McDonald’s Stock Purchase Plan. Nonetheless, the perks for restaurant managers are still reasonably good.
You might be interested: McDonald’s Benefits
McDonald’s Manager Pay Compared With Others
Is $43,000 annually good enough? Well, the best way to find out is to compare McDonald’s pay for restaurant managers with other companies.
According to recent job postings, a store manager in Starbucks can earn $46,900 and above in annual pay. Now, that’s more than $3,000 than what McDonald’s offers, and the $46,900 is regarded as the lowest. Compared to McDonald’s, Starbucks’ pay for its store managers is more generous.
The figure goes higher when compared to the famed Mexican Grill company, Chipotle. Chipotle restaurant managers are paid an average of $56,950 per year. That is a huge jump in salary indeed! It makes Starbucks and McDonald’s manager’s salaries seem so small.
Let’s have another comparison. Chick-fil-A pays an average of $43,970 per year. The highest salary for a Chick-fil-A restaurant manager is estimated to be $57,000 which is only $50 more than Chipotle’s lowest pay in the range.
If we were to rank the pay of restaurant managers in America’s most famous fast food chains, it would be this.
- Chipotle
- Starbucks
- Chick-fil-A
- McDonald’s
Yes, you’re looking at the ranking right. McDonald’s is at the bottom of the list. In fact, McDonald’s is known to pay minimum wage for restaurant staff and many have complained about working there, especially for part-time jobs. So being a McDonald’s crew or restaurant manager is not as financially rewarding as working in Chipotle, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A.
What Are The Roles & Responsibilities Of A Manager?
Basically, a restaurant manager at McDonald’s is in charge of the entire operation of the restaurant. Typical responsibilities are very broad from planning work shifts to restaurant security. So, this is a rough scope of responsibilities expected of a restaurant manager.
- Plan work shifts for all crew members
- Supervise all staff
- Monitor operations and activities in the kitchen and service area
- Quality control of food & beverage
- Oversee the cleanliness of the restaurant
- Manage inventory and supply
- Report directly to the franchise owner or McDonald’s relevant management personnel
- Ensuring the security of the restaurant
Expect more responsibilities to be added as you progress in your career as a manager, which will help bump up your salary.
Find Out More About McDonald’s Related Topics:
Conclusion…
McDonald’s restaurant managers earn an average of $43,000 per year, which is $21 per hour. However, managers are paid a fixed salary instead of hourly wages like service crew members. Managers are entitled to reasonable benefits and perks to enjoy, like employee discounts, health, and dental insurance, paid holidays, and more.
Compared with McDonald’s fast-food rivals with the likes of Starbucks, Chipotle, and Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s ranks the lowest in restaurant manager salary. The highest is Chipotle at $56,950 per year for a restaurant manager position. So, McDonald’s isn’t exactly generous with pay for restaurant staff.
However, there are opportunities to boost your pay through experience, good performance, and expansion of responsibilities. If you’re searching for a restaurant manager position, it’s good to weigh your other options before making a decision.
Have you worked in McDonald’s (in any position), what do you think of the pay? Enough or too little? Let us know in the comments below!