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Not all businesses are large enough to need an operations manager, but those that are will usually pay good money to obtain the services of one. If you are looking toward a career in operations management, you should have a profitable position in store. Many operations managers make well over $100,000 a year, but that is not the case for all of them. You will have to look at all the facts to determine what you may earn in this field. Here is a look at some of the operations manager salary ranges that your earnings may fall into in the future.
Average Operations Manager Salary
Since operations managers work in so many different industries, it is hard to say exactly what the “average” operations management salary is at any given time. That is why we can only provide a range of numbers for you to reference, rather than an exact number. Your salary will probably fall between the numbers on the chart below:
Where your salary fits in this chart will depend on where you work, how much experience you have, how long you have been at your job, what kind of work you do, and much more. Most entry level operations managers earn between $30,000 and $40,000 a year. Other operations managers may earn double or triple that. You will likely have to spend a decade or more in the field before making that kind of money, but you should be able to maintain your salary after that.
Operations Manager Salary by Industry
The industry you work in may not impact your operations manager salary a lot, but it will have some influence on your demand. This will determine how easy it is for you to find work later on. Popular industries for operations manager jobs include:
- Healthcare: $38,823 – $104,580
- Logistics: $37,294 – $96,910
- Manufacturing and Distribution: $39,238 – $106,924
- Retail/Wholesale Distribution: $37,602 – $110,074
- Shipping, Transportation, or Warehousing: $37,617 – $101,396
Operations Manager Salary by Degree
As a whole, you will make more money as an operations manager if you have a higher degree. This is not always the case though. Popular degrees for this field include:
- Associate’s Degree: $33,020 – $88,052
- Bachelor of Business Administration: $39,093 – $98,704
- Bachelor of Science in Business Management: $35,749 – $103,854
- Bachelor’s Degree: $35,780 – $98,972
- Master of Business Administration: $44,749 – $114,925
Operations Manager Salary by Employer
Listed below are some of the most popular employers that call upon the assistance of operations managers:
- Bank of America Corp.: $44,823 – $92,110
- Crothall Services Group: $30,000 – $41,200
- Federal Express Corporation: $49,316 – $84,832
- J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.: $34,435 – $85,814
- The Brickman Group, Ltd.: $31,010 – $50,189
Operations Manager Salary by Gender
Men make up 69% of employed operations managers, and they usually make more money than women in the field. You can see that in the averages listed here:
- Male: $46,596 – $78,642
- Female: $40,703 – $65,603
Operations Manager Salary by Location
Coastal areas of the country tend to have higher paying job opportunities. That is not always the case though. Here are some of the highest paying cities in the country for operations managers.
- (1) San Jose, California: $50,499 – $132,408
- (2) Arlington, Virginia: $29,799 – $136,912
- (3) Hartford, Connecticut: $45,456 – $108,885
- (4) St. Paul, Minnesota: $46,126 – $118,498
- (5) Long Beach, California: $29,799 – $152,013
- (6) Houston, Texas: $40,785 – $127,072
- (7) Reno, Nevada: $44,521 – $96,828
- (8) Allentown, Pennsylvania: $44,850 – $130,434
- (9) Newark, New Jersey: $39,453 – $101,367
- (10) New York City, New York: $39,232 – $108,522
If you review the information above in detail, you should be able to get a rough idea about the operations manager salary you will earn in the future. With the right education and employer backing you up, you can certainly lead a successful life with the salary you can earn in this position.
Note that the information above is courtesy of PayScale.com as of December 15, 2011. It may not reflect the information at the time you read this article.


