Restaurant Manager

A restaurant manager runs the day-to-day business of a dining venue, from service on the floor to the rosters, stock and budgets behind it.

Median salary: $85,500; 3.5%vs last year, before tax
People employed: 63,700; 0.2%vs last year
Projected growth: +7.2%; to 2035
AI exposure*: Moderate; 5 out of 10
Average hours: 46/wk; +6h vs all jobs
Shortage status: Not in shortage; national

Restaurant managers split their time between the floor during service and the office work behind it: rosters, ordering, budgets and compliance.
Unlike a head chef, who owns the food, the manager owns the business around it, setting staffing levels, watching food and labour costs, and making sure the venue meets health and safety rules.
Most work in independent restaurants, hotel dining rooms or multi-site groups, usually reporting to an owner or an area manager.

How much do restaurant managers earn?

The median full-time salary for a restaurant manager is $85,500 per annum, before tax, up $18,200 since 2018.

Pay varies with the venue and the agreement it sits under, so an award-based cafe and a large licensed restaurant with functions can sit at different points on the range. Weekend, public holiday and late-night penalty rates lift the total where the award applies, and some employers pay an annualised salary that folds those loadings into one figure. Experience, the size of the team you run and any performance bonus move pay more than years on the job alone.

Median annual salary, 2018–2028

Median annual salary (AUD/year), Modelled trend anchored to a real ABS Employee Earnings figure, interim years are indicative, not a real yearly series. 2025-2028 is a projection from that anchor using the real ABS Wage Price Index annual growth rate (3.2%, June quarter 2026), not a role-specific forecast., Estimate
Period	Median annual salary (AUD/year)	Change
2018	67,300	-
2019	70,300	+3,000
2020	73,300	+3,000
2021	75,800	+2,500
2022	79,100	+3,300
2023	82,600	+3,500
2024	85,500	+2,900
2025estimated	88,200	+2,700
2026estimated	91,100	+2,900
2027projected	94,000	+2,900
2028projected	97,000	+3,000

The median salary rose by $18,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.

Full restaurant manager salary breakdown →

What does a restaurant manager do day to day?

The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.

Working the floor during service, watching the kitchen pass and covering gaps when someone calls in sick
Handling a customer complaint on the spot, including deciding whether a dish comes off the bill
Checking deliveries, counting stock and adjusting portion sizes or menu prices when food costs climb
Building rosters that fit a tight labour budget around weekends, public holidays and seasonal peaks
Training and supervising a young, often casual front-of-house and kitchen team, and stepping in when a shift falls apart

What skills do restaurant managers need?

Employers look for budgeting and forecasting, financial analysis and modelling, operations management, backed by Point of Sale (POS) systems fluency and strong people leadership.

Specialist skills

Budgeting and forecasting
Financial analysis and modelling
Operations management

Software and tools

Point of Sale (POS) systems
Restaurant management software (Toast, Square, TouchBistro)
Microsoft Excel
Scheduling software (Deputy, Toast)
Inventory management systems

General skills

People leadership
Customer service
Problem solving
Attention to detail

Specialist skills

Budgeting and forecasting: Setting the labour and food budgets for each trading period, then tracking actual spend against them so the owner knows by mid-month whether the venue is on track. Public holiday weeks and seasonal peaks need the roster built around a forecast before trading starts, not after.
Financial analysis and modelling: Working out what a menu change, a new supplier or a price rise does to the margin before committing to it, usually in a spreadsheet. When food costs climb, a restaurant manager models the portion change or price adjustment needed to hold gross profit.
Operations management: Keeping the whole service running: opening and closing procedures, cleaning schedules, food safety records and the flow between kitchen and floor. A gap in any of these shows up later as a complaint, a failed inspection or a lost booking.

Software and tools

Point of Sale (POS) systems: The till system takes orders and payments and logs every sale, which is where a manager pulls the daily takings, voids and item mix to see what actually sells.
Restaurant management software (Toast, Square, TouchBistro): Platforms like Toast, Square and TouchBistro combine sales, menu and reporting in one system, common in venues that want daily numbers without building their own spreadsheets.
Microsoft Excel: Excel handles the budgets, cost sheets and comparisons that restaurant software does not, and it is where many managers build their weekly labour and food cost tracking.
Scheduling software (Deputy, Toast): Deputy and similar tools publish rosters, track clock-ins and flag overtime before it blows the labour budget, which matters most across weekends and public holidays.
Inventory management systems: These track stock from delivery to plate, showing what is running low and what has gone missing, and they feed the ordering and cost reports a manager works from.

General skills

People leadership: A restaurant manager holds together a young, often casual team through a busy Friday night, setting the standard on the floor and stepping in when a shift starts to fall apart.
Customer service: Managers take the complaints staff cannot settle, deciding on the spot whether to comp a dish or offer a replacement, and what that does to the night's margin.
Problem solving: A dropped shift, a late delivery or a broken fridge all land on the manager, who has to find a workable answer before the next service starts.
Attention to detail: Portion sizes, allergen information, cleaning records and errors on a supplier invoice all add up, and missing one can cost money or breach a food safety rule.

Is the job growing?

About 63,700 people work as restaurant managers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 7.2% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.

Employment, 2015–2024, projected to 2035

Employment (workers), Modelled trend anchored to a real Jobs and Skills Australia employment figure, interim years are indicative, not a real yearly series, Estimate
Period	Employment (workers)	Change
2015	59,800	-
2016	60,400	+600
2017	61,000	+600
2018	61,000	+0
2019	61,700	+700
2020	62,300	+600
2021	62,300	+0
2022	62,900	+600
2023	63,600	+700
2024	63,700	+100
2027projected	65,100	+1,400
2029projected	66,000	+900
2031projected	67,000	+1,000
2033projected	67,900	+900
2035projected	68,900	+1,000

Employment rose by 3,900 between 2015 and 2024; the dashed line shows the official projection to 2035.

How do you become a restaurant manager?

Here's the path most restaurant managers take, step by step.

1
Get a paid start on the floor
Waiting, bar or kitchen work teaches service flow, point of sale systems and how a busy shift fits together, and it is the usual way in. Most managers spent time in these jobs before moving up.
2
Take on supervisory shifts and the required certificates
A responsible service of alcohol certificate and a food safety supervisor certificate are needed to manage a licensed venue. Duty manager shifts, cash-up and ordering build the record an employer looks for.
3
Study hospitality management
A Certificate III or IV or a diploma in hospitality management (SIT50422) covers rostering, budgets, stock control and licensing law, and it is a common route into a salaried role. Plenty of managers reach the job through experience alone.
4
Move through assistant manager to manager
Most people step up to assistant or duty manager first, running shifts on their own and taking responsibility for labour cost and compliance. A manager role at a larger venue or within a group opens up more pay and multi-site options.
5
Add a degree if you are aiming higher
A bachelor degree in business, commerce or hospitality management helps for area manager, operations or head office roles, and for anyone planning to open a venue of their own.

Study that can help

No set qualification is needed for this role in our data. These qualifications are not required, but the study can help.

Diploma of Hospitality ManagementDiploma
Teaches leading and rostering a team, budgets and managing conflict, which running a venue involves.
Certificate IV in HospitalityCertificate IV
Teaches leading and coaching a team through a busy service and handling complaints.
Bachelor of Hospitality ManagementBachelor degree
Teaches hospitality operations, service, finance and leadership, which running a venue involves.
Bachelor of Business (Hospitality Management)Bachelor degree
Adds business management and hospitality marketing to operations, which venue budgets and menu pricing draw on.

Prefer something shorter?

A short course can build some of these skills without a full qualification. These aren't accredited, and we don't rank or recommend providers: compare a few before you commit.

Hospitality management
Search on Coursera Search on Udemy Search on LinkedIn Learning
Hospitality
Search on Coursera Search on Udemy Search on LinkedIn Learning

These are ordinary links to each provider's own site. We don't currently earn anything from them.

Ready to apply as a restaurant manager?

Whether you're working toward becoming a restaurant manager or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.

Resume templateExample bullet points grounded in this role's real tasks.View & download →Cover letter templateA structured letter with role-specific example content.View & download →Interview questionsWhat people are actually asked, and why.View & download →

What jobs can a restaurant manager move to?

Moving into Hotel Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $9,500 a year more on average.

Restaurant Manager

$85,500

$95,000+$9,500

$84,200−$1,300

$74,000−$11,500

$91,800+$6,300

$85,500same pay

Retirement Village Manager

$109,200+$23,700

Hotel ManagerRecorded move
$95,000+$9,500
Store ManagerRecorded move
$84,200−$1,300
ChefRecorded move
$74,000−$11,500

Recorded in tax dataSuggested from skill overlap

Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.

Move to	Typical pay change	Overlap	Retraining
Hotel Manager Runs the whole property's food, rooms and staff, so restaurant management experience carries across with little formal retraining.Known move	+$9,500	80%	minimal
Store Manager Management of staff, stock and budgets transfers to retail, with a short course covering retail operations and compliance.Known move	−$1,300	47%	short course
Chef Kitchen and menu knowledge carries into the pass, though a full cookery apprenticeship is needed to work as a qualified chef.Known move	−$11,500	32%	requalify

Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.

Who works as a restaurant manager?

The typical restaurant manager is 38 years old; 50% are women, 77% work full-time, and full-timers average 46 hours a week.

38
Median age: 50%
Female share: 77%
Full-time: +6h
vs all-jobs avg

What's it like being a restaurant manager?

The job runs on the rhythm of service: quiet prep, then a rush where every decision lands immediately. Managers carry the venue's numbers and its people at the same time, so a night that goes well and a night that costs too much in labour can be the same night. It suits someone who likes being in the middle of things and can stay steady while three problems arrive together.

What people like

You see the result the same day. When a full room runs well, the feedback is immediate, from the kitchen timing to the last table leaving happy.
The numbers respond to your decisions. Food and labour costs move with the rosters you write and the way dishes are portioned, so small changes show up in the profit line.
You build a team. Training casual staff and watching them get good at the job is a large part of the satisfaction, especially when they move up behind you.
No two shifts run the same. A broken fridge, a call-out or a large walk-in booking can reshape the day, which keeps the work varied for people who like solving problems on their feet.

What people find hard

The hours land in the evenings. Full-time managers average 46 hours a week, and the busiest of those fall on nights, weekends and public holidays.
You cop complaints that are not your fault. A long wait for a main, or a dish that is not what the customer expected, lands with you, and apologising while fixing it is part of the shift.
Training is a constant loop. Casual hospitality staff move on often, so recruiting and training can take up more of the week than you expect.
The margin is thin. Food and wage costs move with suppliers and award rates, so one quiet week can undo a good one.

Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.

Which industries employ restaurant managers?

Accommodation and Food Services employs the largest share of restaurant managers.

Top employing industries

1Accommodation and Food Services

Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.

Highest qualification held
Year 12 or below		34.1%
Bachelor degree		20.6%
Certificate III/IV		16.8%
Diploma / Advanced Diploma		16.3%
Postgraduate		7.2%

Will AI replace restaurant managers?

5out of 10

Moderate exposure. Not replaced, but changed. AI is taking on some tasks and the rest of the job shifts around them.

Restaurant management is exposed to AI mainly in the administrative half of the job rather than on the floor. Rostering, inventory and sales reporting software now handles much of what managers once did on paper, and booking and point of sale platforms supply the data behind pricing and staffing decisions. Leading a team through a Friday night rush, settling a difficult customer and judging food quality still depend on a person being in the room.

How a typical week splits

20%

AI already does a lot of this

of a typical working week

Sales reporting, pricing and admin
20% of the week
Point of sale platforms produce daily sales, margin and menu-mix reports automatically, so the time goes on reading them rather than building them.

45%

AI helps, you still do it

of a typical working week

Rostering and labour cost planning
25% of the week
Tools such as Deputy draft schedules from sales forecasts, but managers still weigh up who can actually work, award conditions and the labour budget.
Stock control and supplier ordering
20% of the week
Inventory systems flag reorder points and track waste, which removes most of the counting, though someone still checks quality on delivery and negotiates with suppliers.

35%

Stays with people

of a typical working week

Running service and leading the team
35% of the week
Reading a full room, moving staff to where they are needed and settling a complaint at the table happen in person, on the night.

How we work this out

We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.

Moves least exposed to AI

These career moves from restaurant manager work are rated low for AI exposure:

Chef
Some skill overlap (32%), requalify to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.

Common questions about becoming a restaurant manager

Straight answers to the questions people ask most.

How much does a restaurant manager earn in Australia?

Restaurant managers earn a median of $85,500 per year before tax, based on full-time figures for the role. Pay varies with the size of the venue and the agreement it sits under, and with whether the package includes penalty rates and a bonus.

How do you become a restaurant manager?

Most people start in waiting, bar or kitchen work and step up through supervisor and assistant manager roles, learning rosters, ordering and budgets along the way. A responsible service of alcohol certificate and a food safety supervisor certificate are needed to run a licensed venue, and a Certificate IV or diploma in hospitality management (SIT50422) is common but not essential.

Are restaurant managers in demand in Australia?

Restaurant managers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 7.2% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. About 63,700 people work in the role, and because hospitality staff change jobs often, openings appear regularly as people move on or new venues open.

Will AI replace restaurant managers?

Parts of the job are already automated: rostering software drafts schedules, inventory systems flag stock to reorder, and point of sale platforms produce the sales reports a manager once compiled by hand. The floor is harder to hand over, because reading a room, calming a customer and judging whether a new hire will cope on a Friday night are human calls. The tools tend to take over the paperwork rather than the managing, which pushes the job further towards people and decisions.

What can a restaurant manager move into?

Hotel management is one route, where food, rooms and staff come under a single role and pay is typically $9,500 more than restaurant manager pay, with little formal retraining needed. Retail store management draws on the same staffing and stock skills and pays $1,300 less, with a short course covering retail operations and compliance. Moving the other way into the kitchen means a full cookery apprenticeship to work as a qualified chef.

Can a restaurant manager end up owning a venue?

Yes, and it is a common progression: managers often go on to run or buy a restaurant of their own after a few years in charge. Ownership is usually where earnings grow, though the capital and the risk sit with you rather than an employer.

Related roles

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How much do restaurant managers earn?

What does a restaurant manager do day to day?

What skills do restaurant managers need?

Specialist skills

Software and tools

General skills

Specialist skills

Software and tools

General skills

Is the job growing?

How do you become a restaurant manager?

Study that can help

Prefer something shorter?

Ready to apply as a restaurant manager?

What jobs can a restaurant manager move to?

Who works as a restaurant manager?

What's it like being a restaurant manager?

What people like

What people find hard

Which industries employ restaurant managers?

Top employing industries

Will AI replace restaurant managers?

How a typical week splits

Moves least exposed to AI

Common questions about becoming a restaurant manager

Related roles

Career advice