Average General And Operations Managers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for General And Operations Managers is $102,950 per year. The middle 50% earn between $67,160 and $164,130, with 3,584,420 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 393 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how General And Operations Managers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $47,420
- 25th
- $67,160
- Median
- $102,950
- 75th
- $164,130
- 90th
- ≥$239,200
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Values marked ≥$239,200 are at or above the BLS wage cap. BLS does not publish an exact figure above this threshold.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Some general and operations managers earn above the BLS wage cap of $239,200, so the top percentiles shown here are BLS's minimum. Actual top-end earnings go higher but are not published in detail.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for general and operations managers from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.4%
- 164,000 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 308,700
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- 5 years or more
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for general and operations managers.
Where General And Operations Managers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where general and operations managers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $167,270, about 62.5% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $162,480.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $167,270 | 36,060 |
| New Jersey | $149,990 | 63,940 |
| Delaware | $136,900 | 4,740 |
| South Dakota | $133,440 | 4,440 |
| Colorado | $130,340 | 43,140 |
| Washington | $130,240 | 53,800 |
| Connecticut | $130,230 | 46,780 |
| New York | $129,990 | 210,890 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $162,480 | 17,070 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $160,460 | 3,390 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $152,090 | 42,330 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $151,420 | 108,510 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $149,260 | 187,400 |
| Boulder, CO | $147,810 | 3,100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $141,280 | 30,890 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $138,940 | 1,760 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see general and operations managers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for General And Operations Managers rose from $100,780 to $102,950, a gain of +2.2% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $100,780 would need to be worth $123,656 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $102,950 is −$20,706 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -16.7% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 2.2% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +2.2%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -16.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
General And Operations Managers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $100,780
- 2020
- $103,650
- 2021
- $97,970
- 2022
- $98,100
- 2023
- $101,280
- 2024
- $102,950
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Legislators
- $44,810
- Chief Executives
- $206,420
- Facilities Managers
- $104,690
- Construction Managers
- $106,980
- Administrative Services Managers
- $108,390
Common salary questions for General And Operations Managers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of General And Operations Managers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.