General and operations managers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,090 | $24.08 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $105,770 | $50.85 |
| Mean (average) | $134,940 | $64.87 |
| 90th percentile | $253,390 | $121.82 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
General and operations managers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $111,790 | $55,160 | $243,600 | 30,170 | 0.63 |
| Alaska | $116,630 | $63,320 | $219,350 | 6,020 | 0.82 |
| Arizona | $94,800 | $47,990 | $220,280 | 110,480 | 1.51 |
| Arkansas | $74,050 | $36,200 | $173,080 | 34,570 | 1.18 |
| California | $124,390 | $60,370 | $293,810 | 300,840 | 0.73 |
| Colorado | $131,840 | $65,310 | $305,040 | 41,870 | 0.65 |
| Connecticut | $137,220 | $68,010 | $312,890 | 39,070 | 1.02 |
| Delaware | $137,220 | $73,430 | $310,700 | 5,000 | 0.46 |
| District of Columbia | $168,000 | $88,590 | $312,070 | 36,150 | 2.29 |
| Florida | $101,580 | $48,670 | $226,080 | 236,290 | 1.06 |
| Georgia | $103,730 | $47,440 | $237,460 | 111,060 | 1.01 |
| Guam | $67,690 | $38,790 | $133,060 | 1,580 | 1.05 |
| Hawaii | $108,180 | $53,230 | $217,160 | 13,380 | 0.95 |
| Idaho | $80,390 | $41,920 | $170,990 | 24,880 | 1.29 |
| Illinois | $103,570 | $53,240 | $269,320 | 171,300 | 1.25 |
| Indiana | $108,170 | $53,820 | $248,610 | 47,180 | 0.65 |
| Iowa | $87,690 | $42,850 | $191,990 | 30,760 | 0.88 |
| Kansas | $92,840 | $51,780 | $212,700 | 24,660 | 0.76 |
| Kentucky | $79,370 | $40,500 | $176,820 | 52,100 | 1.16 |
| Louisiana | $101,790 | $50,470 | $219,240 | 43,220 | 0.99 |
| Maine | $98,860 | $52,560 | $190,050 | 14,770 | 1.02 |
| Maryland | $117,930 | $58,190 | $235,850 | 96,740 | 1.55 |
| Massachusetts | $127,220 | $60,700 | $314,780 | 95,880 | 1.17 |
| Michigan | $99,530 | $49,380 | $222,810 | 85,860 | 0.87 |
| Minnesota | $99,340 | $46,960 | $209,970 | 72,860 | 1.1 |
| Mississippi | $106,680 | $48,620 | $238,230 | 10,630 | 0.41 |
| Missouri | $79,300 | $42,460 | $188,820 | 109,020 | 1.65 |
| Montana | $91,380 | $48,890 | $187,260 | 11,840 | 1.03 |
| Nebraska | $85,090 | $48,010 | $193,080 | 24,030 | 1.04 |
| Nevada | $99,390 | $47,950 | $255,060 | 38,920 | 1.11 |
| New Hampshire | $124,680 | $61,100 | $264,270 | 22,110 | 1.44 |
| New Jersey | $173,690 | $77,350 | $372,770 | 53,000 | 0.55 |
| New Mexico | $98,630 | $47,710 | $214,590 | 16,330 | 0.83 |
| New York | $130,860 | $62,340 | $336,070 | 206,740 | 0.95 |
| North Carolina | $101,950 | $48,340 | $238,230 | 63,740 | 0.57 |
| North Dakota | $98,170 | $52,000 | $184,720 | 11,150 | 1.15 |
| Ohio | $97,700 | $47,400 | $216,360 | 153,160 | 1.22 |
| Oklahoma | $90,430 | $45,840 | $202,740 | 43,890 | 1.14 |
| Oregon | $103,490 | $54,350 | $237,090 | 36,190 | 0.82 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,130 | $49,990 | $220,530 | 172,010 | 1.26 |
| Puerto Rico | $73,570 | $36,200 | $181,830 | 7,190 | 0.34 |
| Rhode Island | $117,380 | $64,990 | $243,520 | 9,150 | 0.81 |
| South Carolina | $106,080 | $56,520 | $219,350 | 32,230 | 0.62 |
| South Dakota | $137,400 | $85,990 | $232,000 | 4,280 | 0.42 |
| Tennessee | $106,970 | $50,820 | $230,660 | 63,720 | 0.86 |
| Texas | $103,230 | $46,190 | $264,620 | 431,310 | 1.36 |
| Utah | $97,850 | $44,100 | $213,270 | 42,580 | 1.09 |
| Vermont | $98,640 | $59,500 | $218,550 | 8,000 | 1.17 |
| Virgin Islands | $82,850 | $46,300 | $164,720 | 1,040 | 1.44 |
| Virginia | $122,080 | $56,400 | $261,060 | 103,590 | 1.12 |
| Washington | $133,750 | $77,680 | $269,320 | 50,630 | 0.63 |
| West Virginia | $82,500 | $45,500 | $175,070 | 15,300 | 0.97 |
| Wisconsin | $118,730 | $59,540 | $247,560 | 36,910 | 0.56 |
| Wyoming | $99,700 | $50,740 | $214,810 | 7,470 | 1.18 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for general and operations managers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 285,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.8%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for general and operations managers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Veterinary Office Management/Administration CIP 01.8202
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General CIP 31.0301
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Other CIP 31.0399
- Public Administration CIP 44.0401
- Business/Commerce, General CIP 52.0101
- Business Administration and Management, General CIP 52.0201
- Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management CIP 52.0206
- Retail Management CIP 52.0212
- Risk Management CIP 52.0215
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies CIP 52.0701
- Social Entrepreneurship CIP 52.0704
- Finance, General CIP 52.0801
- Financial Risk Management CIP 52.0810
- International Business/Trade/Commerce CIP 52.1101
- Management Science CIP 52.1301
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Atlassian Confluence (hot technology)
- Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, Management of Personnel Resources, Persuasion, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Business Manager, Center Manager, Department Manager, District Manager, General Manager (GM), Operations Director, Operations General Manager (Operations GM), Operations Manager, Plant Superintendent, Store Manager.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do general and operations managers make?
The national median annual wage for general and operations managers was $105,770 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $50,090 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $253,390. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do general and operations managers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with 5 years or more of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is general and operations managers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of general and operations managers to change +5.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 285,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay general and operations managers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Jersey ($173,690), District of Columbia ($168,000), South Dakota ($137,400). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.