Airline General Manager Salary in the United States

How much does an Airline General Manager make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Airline General Manager in the United States is $202,568 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $97.

However, an Airline General Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $230,550
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $178,283 to $217,215
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $156,173
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View as table View as graph 25% $178,283 10% $156,173 90% $230,550 75% $217,215 $202,568 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Airline General Manager Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $217,215 $18,101 $4,177 $104
Average $202,568 $16,881 $3,896 $97
25th Percentile $178,283 $14,857 $3,429 $86
Check out Airline General Manager Job Openings in the United States
GENERAL MANAGER

Potbelly Sandwich Shop - Columbus, OH

General Manager

Late Night Slice - Columbus, OH

General Manager

Courtyard - Columbus Airport - Columbus, OH

GENERAL MANAGER

Twin Peaks - Columbus, OH

Search More Airline General Manager Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Airline General Manager Salaries

An Airline General Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Airline General Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Airline General Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $163,611
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $132,800
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $169,202
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $201,491
  • Expert (over 8 years): $249,819
Levels Salary
Lead Flig... Level Airline General Manager$163,611
Flight Op... Level Airline General Manager$132,800
Flight Op... Level Airline General Manager$169,202
Airline G... Level Airline General Manager$201,491
Flight Op... Level Airline General Manager$249,819
$163,611 0 yr
$132,800 < 2 yrs
$169,202 2-4 yrs
$201,491 5-8 yrs
$249,819 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Airline General Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $255,499
  • San Francisco: $252,702
  • Oakland: $247,376

What Skills Can Increase an Airline General Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 8.33% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Software Design (Mentioned in 1.67% Job Postings): Software design is the process by which an agent creates a specification of a software artifact, intended to accomplish goals, using a set of primitive components and subject to constraints. Software design may refer to either "all the activity involved in conceptualizing, framing, implementing, commissioning, and ultimately modifying complex systems" or "the activity following requirements specification and before programming, as ... [in] a stylized software engineering process." Software design usually involves problem solving and planning a software solution. This includes both a low-level component and algorithm design and a high-level, architecture design.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 0.83% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 8.33%
Software Design 1.67%
Continuous Improvement 0.83%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Airline General Manager's salary.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
  • Long Term Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Marketing Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Corporate Social Responsibility
$251,184
24%
Long Term Planning
$243,082
20%
Marketing Planning
$226,876
12%
Team Management
$226,876
12%
Project Design
$222,825
10%
Catering
$218,773
8%
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Airline General Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Airline General Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Healthcare and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Airline General Manager positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Financial Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Airline General Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Airline General Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$283,595$136.040%
Energy & Utilities$263,338$127.030%
Insurance$253,210$122.025%
Construction$243,082$117.020%
Telecom$243,082$117.020%

How Education impacts an Airline General Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Airline General Managers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Airline General Manager with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $188,420 and $207,090).

Airline General Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Airline General Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 14.4%
Associates 12.9%
Bachelors 46.2%
Masters 24.7%
Doctorate 1.3%
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Airline General Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Airline General Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Airline General Manager

Salaries for an Airline General Manager can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $144,387 in 2023 to around $138,458 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Airline General Manager salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Airline General Manager Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$144,387
2024
$141,764
2025
$138,458
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $144,387
2024 $141,764
2025 $138,458
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Airline General Manager

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Airline General Manager

Here are companies hiring for Airline General Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Airline General Manager Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Airline General Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Playa Bowls

    Columbus, OH

    Playa Bowls | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. ABOUT THE COMPANY. Playa Bowls is New Jersey's Original Acai Shop, founded in 2014, and our mission is to bring superfrui... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Dunkin' Donuts

    Columbus, OH

    Dunkin' Donuts | Columbus, OH

    Dunkin' Donuts - 8235 North High Street - Responsibilities: Hire, train and develop their employees. Communicate job expectations to their employees. Plan,... more

    7 Days Ago

  • The Parking Spot

    Columbus, OH

    The Parking Spot | Columbus, OH

    General Manager | Full-Time. With more than 25 years in business, The Parking Spot has grown into the largest near-airport parking company in the United St... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Smith Pet Care Co

    Columbus, OH

    Smith Pet Care Co | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Description. Lead people. Drive growth. Make an impact on dogs and families every day. Dogtopia Downtown Columbus is look... more

    9 Days Ago

  • Restore Hyper Wellness of Columbus

    Columbus, OH

    Restore Hyper Wellness of Columbus | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Benefits/Perks. A competitive salary plus bonuses. Flexible Schedules. Casual Dress-code. Fun, wellness-focused work envi... more

    9 Days Ago

  • Ethos Hospitality Group

    Columbus, OH

    Ethos Hospitality Group | Columbus, OH

    Ethos Hospitality Group is built on the belief that a culture of love, accountability, and radical candor drives success. We value our team for their passi... more

    16 Days Ago

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FAQ about Airline General Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Airline General Manager?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Airline General Manager roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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