Employee motivation is a key determinant of organizational performance, particularly in labor – intensive sectors such as the restaurant industry. This descriptive – comparative, cross -sectional survey design examined the level of employee motivation in select ed restaurants in Sara, Iloilo, Philippines, focusing on salary, work itself, responsibility, and management support. Using purposive sampling, 100 employees from ten restaurants were surveyed and classified according to selected demographic variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Mann –Whitney U test and Kruskal –Wallis test, were employed in the analysis. Findings revealed that employees were generally highly motivated across all indicators. Older employees reported significantly higher salary motivation, while Employees with higher educational attainment showed significantly higher motivation across all dimensions, although the strength of motivation varied by factor. No significant differences were found when respondents were grouped according to sex, civil status, and monthly income. The findings suggest that equitable compensation and supportive management may help sustain employee motivation in small restaurant settings similar to those in Sara, Iloilo. It is recommended that restaurant managers strengthen fair compensation systems and implement inclusive motivational strategies that consider employees’ educational backgrounds to further enhance workforce engagement and organizational outcomes.

Keywords: employee motivation, salary, work itself, responsibility, management support, restaurants, Sara, Iloilo, Philippines.