How To Become A Chief Of Operations: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chief of operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Ben Littlepage

Everyone in a workplace is assigned a critical job to maintain smooth operational processes, but who checks on them? The Chief of Operation is the individual who maintains an organization's functioning through effective management. The role of a Chief of Operation is implementing company policies, setting up business targets, and providing leadership until these goals are completed. Once a project or task is complete, they're also responsible for submitting progress reports to higher authorities.

Most individuals who become a Chief of Operations begin their career by completing a Bachelor's degree or higher in a subject like business or marketing. Occasionally exceptions are made and a Chief of Operations gets by with only an Associate's or High School diploma.

Professionals are paid a salary that's made to match their job efforts. A Chief of Operations is paid more than $52 per hour on average for their management. That adds up to an annual salary of over $109,000.

What general advice would you give to a chief of operations?

Dr. Ben Littlepage

Professor, Murray State University

I believe skills associated with organizational systems (e.g. procedures, processes) and hybridized management are essential for the field. Organizations (e.g. schools, institutions) will continue to be lean for a variety of reasons. The ability to achieve results by refining systems and maximizing resources cannot be understated. Hybrid work schedules and communication are not leaving education. Leaders that embrace hybridized technologies for assessment, employee satisfaction and development, and content delivery will remain competitive in the face of a private market looking to capitalize on laggard leaders.

ScoreChief Of OperationsUS Average

Salary

8.3

Avg. Salary $124,927

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.37%

Black or African American 6.19%

Hispanic or Latino 15.22%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.40%

Gender

female 14.09%

male 85.91%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chief of operations

Explore chief of operations education requirements

Most common chief of operations degrees

Bachelor's

57.2 %

Associate

16.5 %

Master's

16.4 %

Start to develop specific chief of operations skills

Skills	Percentages
Oversight	13.24%
Emergency Operations	9.00%
Logistical Support	8.41%
Human Resources	6.39%
Combat	5.73%

Complete relevant chief of operations training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chiefs of operations learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief of operations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief of operations resumes.

Gain additional chief of operations certifications

Chief of operations certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chief of operations certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chiefs of operations include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Planning Engineer (CPE).

More About Certifications

Research chief of operations duties and responsibilities

Evaluate progress of program plans to determine whether overall command-wide objectives are being accomplish economically with reference to budget and manpower.
Prepare tactical instructions and operational doctrine.
Design security and counterintelligence training and briefings for delivery throughout DHS.
Ensure compliance with federal procedures by leading training and providing PowerPoint presentations.

Get chief of operations experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a chief of operations. The most common roles before becoming a chief of operations include operations officer, executive officer team lead and flight commander.

Prepare your chief of operations resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief of operations resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chief of operations resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable chief of operations resume templates

Build a professional chief of operations resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chief of operations resume.