Restaurant Operator Salary
$16K - $20K
1% of jobs
$20K - $24K
1% of jobs
$24K - $28K
2% of jobs
$28K - $32K
7% of jobs
$35K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$32K - $36K
17% of jobs
The median wage is $38.3K / yr.
$36K - $40K
35% of jobs
$43.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$40K - $44K
12% of jobs
$44K - $48K
8% of jobs
$48K - $52K
7% of jobs
$52K - $56K
5% of jobs
$56K - $60K
3% of jobs
$16K
$36.5K
$58K
$39,764
/year
$19.12
/hour
Restaurant Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$39,764
Columbus
Ohio
$38,408
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How much does a Restaurant Operator make?
As of Aug 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Restaurant Operator in the United States is $39,764 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.12 an hour. This is the equivalent of $764/week or $3,313/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $58,000 and as low as $16,000, the majority of Restaurant Operator salaries currently range between $34,000 (25th percentile) to $43,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $52,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Restaurant Operator varies greatly (by as much as 9000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Restaurant Operator in your area makes on average $38,408 per year, or $1,356 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $39,764. Ohio ranks number 40 out of 50 states nationwide for Restaurant Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Restaurant Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Restaurant Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Restaurant Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Restaurant Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Whitehorse, YT, and Johnstonville, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Johnstonville, CA, beats the national average by $22,832 (57.4%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $23,484 (59.1%) above the $39,764 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Restaurant Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 3% between Kentville, NS, and Courtenay, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Restaurant Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Kentville, NS | $63,248 | $30.41 |
Whitehorse, YT | $62,845 | $30.21 |
Johnstonville, CA | $62,596 | $30.09 |
Haines Junction, YT | $62,594 | $30.09 |
North Cowichan, BC | $62,410 | $30.00 |
Duncan, BC | $62,170 | $29.89 |
Oak Bay, BC | $62,057 | $29.84 |
Victoria, BC | $61,794 | $29.71 |
Alberton, PE | $61,217 | $29.43 |
Courtenay, BC | $61,052 | $29.35 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Restaurant Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Restaurant Operator category.
For example Director Of Beverage jobs pay as much as $55,971 (140.8%) more than the average Restaurant Operator salary of $39,764. If you're qualified, finding work as a Director Of Beverage may help you make more money than that of the average Restaurant Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Director Of Beverage | $95,735 | $46.03 |
Food And Beverage Manager | $57,040 | $27.42 |
Food And Beverage Lead | $43,049 | $20.70 |
Catering Business | $39,459 | $18.97 |
Mcdonalds Restaurants | $34,370 | $16.52 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
