General and Operations Managers Average Salary in United States
$134,649 average · $134,530 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 11-1021What is this?
This page shows employer-reported wages for General and Operations Managers in United States, drawn from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey — median and mean pay, the full percentile distribution, and the industries that employ this occupation locally. Scope is everything — revenue, headcount, and industry margin explain more than years in seat. Manufacturing, logistics, and professional services typically out-pay food service and local retail for the same title. Incentive and bonus pay, incompletely captured in OEWS, can be a large share of total compensation at the top of this distribution.
How much do General and Operations Managers make in United States?
The average general and operations managers salary in United States is $134,649 per year, with a median of $134,530. That works out to about $64.74 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 18,506,210 general and operations managers jobs in United States.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $134,530. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $93,710; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $170,710 — a 82% spread from bottom to top. Figures are employer-reported wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — not self-reported survey averages — so they are the right baseline for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
How General and Operations Managers Careers Are Structured
General and operations managers run day-to-day business units: P&L ownership, staffing, vendor relationships, and process control. The title covers everything from a small retail district to a manufacturing plant, so the wage distribution is one of the widest in the management major group.
The wage tables and percentile chart on this page show how general and operations managers pay is distributed in United States specifically — and because state-level wages for the same occupation routinely differ by 30% or more, the local figures here are the ones that matter for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
What Moves Pay in This Field
Scope is everything — revenue, headcount, and industry margin explain more than years in seat. Manufacturing, logistics, and professional services typically out-pay food service and local retail for the same title. Incentive and bonus pay, incompletely captured in OEWS, can be a large share of total compensation at the top of this distribution.
Almost nobody is hired into this role as a first job; it is reached by promotion from supervisory and specialist tracks. Compare this page to the occupation you manage today — the gap is the financial value of the step up in your industry and state.
New to reading wage distributions? Our guide to salary percentiles explains how to place yourself on the chart above, and the negotiation playbook shows how to use these numbers in an actual conversation.
High Demand OccupationBright Outlook
General and Operations Managers is in high demand with strong job growth projected over the next decade.
What Do General and Operations Managers Do?
General and Operations Managers positions belong to the general and operations managers field. General and operations managers run day-to-day business units: P&L ownership, staffing, vendor relationships, and process control. The title covers everything from a small retail district to a manufacturing plant, so the wage distribution is one of the widest in the management major group.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 11-1021
General and Operations Managers pay in United States
In United States, general and operations managers report a median of $134,530 and an average of $134,649 (about $64.74/hour) across roughly 18,506,210 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $93,710 at the 10th percentile to $170,710 at the 90th.
National figures average across high-cost coastal metros and lower-cost inland markets, so individual state pages on Wage Atlas are usually the better reference for a specific offer.
Income reality check
The median salary for General and Operations Managers in United States of $134,530 falls in the Upper-middle class band of this framework - roughly ~13% of the U.S. population and ~4% of the global population sit in this band.
Illustrative relative standing for education only - this ladder is a simplified framework, not an official Census, BLS, or World Bank statistical series. Salary figures on Wage Atlas come from official BLS OEWS data.
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Job Outlook 2023-2033
Official BLS Employment Projections for General and Operations Managers
Skills & What You Do
Most occupations require a bachelor's degree; many require experience
- Oversee daily operations
- Direct and coordinate activities
- Manage staff and resources
- Set policies and goals
Top Industries for General and Operations Managers
| $174,700 | $139,340 | $84 | 204,520 | |
| $170,710 | $151,040 | $82 | 877,440 | |
SOC: 42 | $144,420 | $115,620 | $69 | 253,660 |
SOC: 23 | $133,650 | $112,230 | $64 | 263,010 |
| $126,362 | $100,158 | $61 | 479,870 | |
| Find Administrative and Support Services (2 Types) Jobs | ||||
| $112,190 | $94,360 | $54 | 218,230 | |
| $81,080 | $66,990 | $39 | 216,760 | |
Related Occupations
SOC: 11-3000 • 85% match | $164,108 | $165,330 | $79 | 14,843,170 |
SOC: 11-1000 • 93% match | $141,976 | $141,910 | $68 | 19,716,600 |
SOC: 11-1020 • 96% match | $134,649 | $134,530 | $65 | 18,506,210 |
SOC: 29-1000 • 88% match | $129,354 | $132,000 | $62 | 40,558,130 |
| Find Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners Jobs | ||||
SOC: 11-9000 • 89% match | $125,254 | $124,870 | $60 | 20,310,970 |
SOC: 15-1200 • 89% match | $118,902 | $122,580 | $57 | 25,790,020 |
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General And Operations Managers in Other States
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