---
title: "Can You Get Rich Owning Franchises?"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/d737fade-e3a8-46d3-a0da-2342e87b8386
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/can-you-get-rich-owning-franchises-2715618
category: "Franchise Industry"
industry: "Franchise Industry"
topics: ["Finance & M&A"]
published: 2021-04-30T15:10:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:15:28.129Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/f3098dd4d9e6f4310dd2231bed1f3fef7780.jpg
---

# Can You Get Rich Owning Franchises?

**TL;DR:** The average pre-tax annual income of franchise owners in the U.S. is around $80,000, with 7% earning over $250,000 and 51% earning less than $50,000. Franchise owners in the restaurant industry earn an average of $82,000 per year.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-04-30. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/can-you-get-rich-owning-franchises-2715618).*

## Story

Franchising offers a wide variety of benefits, but like any business venture, the primary goal is profitability. The million-dollar question, literally and figuratively, is just how much money can you make in franchising?

Unfortunately, this information is rather difficult to find. According to a survey done by Franchise Business Review, the average pre-tax annual income of franchise owners in the U.S. is about $80,000. However, only 7% of franchise owners earn over $250,000 per year with 51% earning less than $50,000.

Franchisors legally cannot provide income amounts or projections of future income. This is more of a protection for the franchisor as they can’t guarantee the same performance for every franchisee.

Instead, prospective franchisees are advised to check out a franchisor’s Item 19, the section of its franchise disclosure document (FDD) that outlines the brand’s financial performance. The Item 19 usually includes both gross and net numbers so franchisees have a more realistic idea of the brand’s potential.

Industry surveys and studies provide a glimpse into potential earnings. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re looking at franchise ROI.

Your earnings potential as a franchise owner depends largely on the brand and industry.

Franchise owners in the restaurant industry earn an average of $82,000 per year, which is pretty solid considering the salary range of a non-franchise restaurant owner can range from $24,000 to $155,000.

Startup costs, however, can range anywhere between $100,000 to millions of dollars.

A Chick-Fil-A franchise, for example, generates $4.1 million on average annually with an initial investment of $10,000. Dunkin’ Donuts locations bring in about $974,000 annually on the low end with startup costs ranging from $465,000 to 1,597,000.

The results are vastly different when you look at other industries. The single highest-grossing cleaning franchise generates $1.3 million per year with an initial investment of $150,000 to $200,000. And one of the leading staffing franchises generates $6,500,000 on average annually per franchise with an initial investment of $150,000.

For potential franchisees doing research, this lack of financial information can be frustrating. If you’re looking to buy a franchise, start by requesting an FDD and prioritize those that include an Item 19. That way, you can have a fuller picture of other franchisee performance and a baseline with which to start.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Franchise Industry (sector)
- restaurant industry (topic)
- United States (location)
- franchise costs (topic)
- Chick-fil-A (company)
- Dunkin' Donuts (company)
- franchise income (topic)
- franchise roi (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/can-you-get-rich-owning-franchises-2715618). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/d737fade-e3a8-46d3-a0da-2342e87b8386).