General Manager Compensation Benchmarks?

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July 11, 2025

by a searcher in Toronto, ON, Canada

I'm negotiating a new employment contract with a key employee at the company I'm buying who is largely acting as the general manager. The owner only goes in once a week for a few hours and still manages the bank accounts and P&L, but this employee is the primary customer contact, manages the other employees, and keeps the trains running day to day. He's historically had a profit share of 5%, with the opportunity to continue vesting up to 10%. This feels high to me, especially as we continue to grow the business, but definitely want to keep him motivated as well. Would love to hear what others have seen for similar key execs.
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Reply by a searcher
in Longwood, FL 32750, USA
Thank you ^redacted‌ for the tag When structuring compensation for a key employee like this, we typically recommend: 1. Benchmark Standards: - Competitive base salary ($75K–$150K, depending on size/location) - Performance bonus (10–25% of salary) - Profit share or phantom equity (often lower than 10%) 2. Scalable Incentives: - Tiered profit shares (for example, 2% up to $X profit, 3% above that) - Performance bonuses tied to KPIs - Phantom equity (ownership-like rewards without giving actual equity) 3. Clear Role Definition: - Formalize responsibilities, authority, and review metrics. Retaining a strong operator is usually cheaper than replacing them, but the structure should align with growth. Happy to discuss specifics, we’ve helped many clients navigate this.
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Reply by a professional
from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, USA
I’m happy to offer some insights and chat more. You can reach me at redacted
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