Want to Make $200K? This Fast-Food Chain Pays Managers That Much

In-N-Out store managers now earn over $200,000 a year on average, the company’s chief operating officer, Denny Warnick, confirmed to USA TODAY.

“Our founders, Harry and Esther Snyder, believed not only in taking great care of our customers, but also in taking really great care of our associates,” Warnick said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Their philosophy was to treat associates like family and strive to be an outstanding employer, and paying higher-than-normal wages was one important part of that philosophy.”

The $200,000 annual average salary is about $40,000 higher than in 2018, when In-N-Out store managers made more than $160,000 a year, according to USA TODAY reporting at the time.

The average salary for an In-N-Out store manager is well above the national average of $55,943 a year for fast-food store managers, according to Indeed. USA TODAY reached out to McDonald’s and Burger King for their average store manager salaries.

Warnick pointed to the company’s higher-than-average pay and benefits for keeping turnover low among management and non-management employees. Starting pay at the St. George, Utah, location, which opened Aug. 14, is $17.50 an hour, USA TODAY reported at the time.

“Many of our Associates have been with In-N-Out for decades, carrying on the values and practices established by our founders,” he said.

Expansion Coincides With Salary Bump

The pay increase comes as the popular burger chain has expanded beyond its California roots in recent years.

The company plans to add a second headquarters in Tennessee, slated to open in late 2026, according to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. It now has five locations in the state.

The home of the Double-Double has added stores in Colorado, Texas and Idaho. In-N-Out previously announced plans to open a store in New Mexico by 2027.

It opened its second-largest location by seating capacity on the Las Vegas Strip on June 9.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Want to Make $200K? This Fast-Food Chain Pays Managers That Much.

Reporting by James Powel and Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY / USA TODAY. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.