How Much Do Franchise Owners Make? Income Data for 52 Brands

Franchise owner income ranges from $27,000 to $550,000+ annually per location depending on brand, category, investment level, and market. This guide aggregates FDD Item 19 income data across 80 major franchise brands — organized by category so you can compare what franchise owners actually earn before investing.

Last Updated: July 2026 | All data sourced from current FDD Item 19 disclosures or industry benchmarks. Updated as new FDD data becomes available.

Franchise Owner Income by Category

Category	Best Brand	Est. Annual Income	Investment Range	Full Analysis
QSR / Fast Food	Culver’s ($440K–$554K)	$35K–$550K	$107K–$8.57M	See QSR Income Guide →
Fitness / Gyms	Crunch Fitness ($250K–$400K)	$45K–$400K	$314K–$6.7M	See Fitness Income Guide →
Home Services	Paul Davis ($280K–$450K)	$27K–$425K	$107K–$539K	See Home Services Guide →
Senior Care	BrightStar Care ($240K–$310K)	$150K–$314K	$125K–$171K	See Senior Care Guide →
Real Estate	Keller Williams ($150K–$500K+)	$80K–$500K+	$45K–$466K	See Real Estate Guide →
Auto Services	Midas ($130K–$195K)	$75K–$195K	$197K–$1.016M	See Auto Services Guide →
Retail & Services	Minuteman Press ($80K–$200K, 4% flat fee)	$35K–$182K	$34K–$609K	See Retail Guide →
Education / Tutoring	Mathnasium ($120K–$200K)	$80K–$200K	$112K–$149K	See Education Brands →
Pet Services	Dogtopia ($150K–$280K)	$100K–$280K	$448K–$1.1M	See Pet Brands →
11	Paul Davis Restoration	$280K–$450K	$3.0M–$5.0M	Home Services
12	BrightStar Care	$240K–$310K	varies	Senior Care
13	Slim Chickens	$250K–$375K	$2.0M–$3.0M	QSR
14	Comfort Keepers	$232K–$314K	varies	Senior Care
15	Chick-fil-A	$200K–$450K	$2.7M+	QSR
16	Paul Davis Restoration	$280K–$450K	$3.0M–$5.0M	Home Services
17	Aire Serv	$120K–$280K	~$1.5M AUV	Home Services

Most Profitable Franchises by Annual Income

Based on FDD Item 19 data, here are the franchises with the highest estimated annual owner income per location:

Rank	Brand	Est. Annual Income	AUV	Category
1	Culver’s	$440K–$554K	$3.69M–$4.14M	QSR
2	Whataburger	$350K–$530K	~$3.5M	QSR
3	Two Men and a Truck	$331K–$425K	$2.31M	Home Services
4	Zaxby’s	$325K–$407K	$2.71M	QSR
5	Crunch Fitness	$250K–$400K	$2.506M	Fitness
6	Wingstop	$240K–$320K	$2.13M	QSR
7	Panera Bread	$280K–$380K	$2.8M	QSR
8	Home Instead	$200K–$288K	~$1.6M	Senior Care
9	Planet Fitness	$200K–$320K	$1.87M	Fitness
10	Popeyes	$200K–$285K	$1.9M	QSR

Best Franchise Investments by Payback Period

Payback Period	Brand	Income	Investment
1–2 years	Visiting Angels	$168K–$252K	$125K–$171K
1–3 years	Mr. Rooter Plumbing	$152K–$191K	$122K–$264K
2–4 years	Two Men and a Truck	$331K–$425K	$107K–$539K
2–4 years	Home Instead	$200K–$288K	$125K–$167K
3–5 years	Wingstop	$240K–$320K	$298K–$1.01M

Franchise Brands to Approach With Caution

Not all franchise investments are equal. These brands carry significant risk signals that warrant careful due diligence:

Brand	Issue	Rating
F45 Training	77% system contraction, 15%+ effective fees at median, corporate revenue -66%	AVOID
H&R Block	IRS Direct File + AI disruption to core tax prep model	AVOID
Supercuts	443 net closures in 2025 — 24% system contraction	AVOID
Club Pilates	Xponential: FTC $17M settlement, $53.7M net loss, leadership instability	CAUTION
Popeyes	Sailormen Ch.11 (136 units), 4 consecutive SSS declines	CAUTION
Maaco	13% fees, 42/100 franchisee satisfaction, 4.8% SBA default	CAUTION

How to Use This Data

Every income estimate on SharpSheets is derived from FDD Item 19 disclosures (where available) or independently calculated using industry-standard margin benchmarks applied to disclosed AUV data. Our methodology is shown on every brand page. Three rules for using this data:

• FDD Item 19 first: Request the current FDD from the franchisor and read Item 19 yourself — it’s the only legally required income disclosure
• Call existing franchisees: Item 20 of every FDD lists current franchisee contacts. Call 10+ in markets similar to yours before investing
• Model the fee burden, not just AUV: A 12% fee on $1M AUV ($120K/year to the franchisor) vs. a 7% fee ($70K) is a $50K annual difference that compounds significantly over a 10-year term

Frequently Asked Questions About Franchise Owner Income

What is the average franchise owner income?

The average franchise owner income is approximately $80,000–$150,000 per location annually across all franchise categories. However, this average masks enormous variance: QSR franchise owners at top brands (Culver’s, Wingstop, McDonald’s) earn $200K–$550K, while single-unit salon or lawn care franchise owners may earn $35K–$80K.

What is the most profitable franchise to own?

Culver’s ($440K–$554K estimated annual income on $3.69M–$4.14M AUV) is the most profitable franchisable QSR on a per-unit basis. For investment-to-income ratio, Two Men and a Truck ($331K–$425K on $107K–$539K investment, 2–4 year payback) and Mr. Rooter ($152K–$191K on $122K–$264K, 1–3 year payback) deliver the best returns.

How much do multi-unit franchise owners make?

Multi-unit franchise owners typically earn 3–8x single-unit income through shared overhead and management leverage. A 5-unit McDonald’s operator earning $300K/unit = $1.5M annually. A 10-salon Great Clips operator earning $65K/salon = $650K combined with lower per-salon overhead than 10 independent operators.

Which franchise has the best return on investment?

Visiting Angels (1–2 year payback, $168K–$252K income on $125K–$171K investment) and Mr. Rooter (1–3 year payback, $152K–$191K income on $122K–$264K investment) deliver the best ROI in franchising. Two Men and a Truck ($331K–$425K income on $107K–$539K, 2–4 year payback) is exceptional for investors who can manage a moving company workforce.

→ QSR Franchise Income Guide →
→ Fitness Franchise Income Guide →
→ Home Services Franchise Income Guide →
→ Senior Care Franchise Income Guide →
→ Research All Franchise FDD Data at FranchisePayback.com →

— SharpSheets Editorial Team | sharpsheets.io | Last Updated: July 2026. Always consult the current FDD before making any franchise investment decision.