Operations Manager: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.
The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.
10% of operations managers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $50,090
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
25% of operations managers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $72,320
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Half of operations managers earn more than this and half earn less.
- Annual
- $105,770
- Hourly
- $50.85
- Source
- BLS May 2025
75% of operations managers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $167,280
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
90% of operations managers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $253,390
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Operations Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. The median pay is $105,770 a year ($50.85 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (29% of workers surveyed by O*NET).
- Median pay
- $105,770
- BLS May 2025
- Employed in the U.S.
- 3,503,020
- BLS May 2025
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- considerable preparation
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 29% of workers
Data Government data groups this job as General and Operations Managers (O*NET-SOC 11-1021.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
Every page for Operations Managers
Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.
Open →ResumeOperations Manager resumeKeywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.
Open →Interview questionsOperations Manager interview questionsQuestions with what they test, plus practice mode.
Open →Free toolCheck your resumeParsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.
Open →What operations managers do day to day
Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).
- Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
- Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
- Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
- Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
- Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
- Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
Ranked by importance to the job
Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.
Knowledge areas: Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Production and Processing, Mathematics, Personnel and Human Resources.
Software operations managers use
Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.
- Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
- Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
- Apache HadoopData base management system softwareHot technology
- Atlassian JIRAContent workflow softwareHot technology
- Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
- Extensible markup language XMLEnterprise application integration softwareHot technology
- FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
- Google AnalyticsData mining softwareHot technology
- HubSpot softwareSales and marketing softwareHot technology
- IBM SPSS StatisticsAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
- Kronos Workforce TimekeeperTime accounting softwareHot technology
- Marketo Marketing AutomationSales and marketing softwareHot technology
Also called: Operation Manager, General Manager, Business Manager, Center Manager, Department Manager, District Manager, General Manager (GM), Operations Director.
How this page is built
Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.
- How a specific employer defines the job.
- Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).