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Job outlook for co-owner/operators in the United States
Co-owner/operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected co-owner/operator job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 189,200 new jobs for co-owner/operators are projected over the next decade.
Co-owner/operator salaries have increased 4% for co-owner/operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 689,117 co-owner/operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 95,615 active co-owner/operator job openings in the US.
The average co-owner/operator salary is $32,256.
Are co-owner/operator jobs in demand?
Co-owner/operator job and salary trends over time
Co-owner/operator jobs over time
Co-owner/operator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 689,117 | 0.20% |
| 2020 | 637,980 | 0.19% |
| 2019 | 657,010 | 0.20% |
| 2018 | 634,719 | 0.19% |
| 2017 | 621,848 | 0.19% |
Average co-owner/operator salary over time
Co-owner/operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,256 | $15.51 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $31,363 | $15.08 | --0.1% |
| 2023 | $31,409 | $15.10 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $31,247 | $15.02 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $30,905 | $14.86 | +1.6% |
Co-owner/operator jobs by state
Most common states for co-owner/operators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 1,189 | 157% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 1,060 | 122% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 2,988 | 99% |
| 4 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 2,781 | 95% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 1,466 | 76% |
| 6 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 4,205 | 69% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 2,649 | 67% |
| 8 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 1,199 | 66% |
| 9 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 3,018 | 62% |
| 10 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 2,613 | 59% |
| 11 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,713 | 54% |
| 12 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 864 | 50% |
| 13 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 2,229 | 48% |
| 14 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 2,248 | 45% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 936 | 45% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,444 | 44% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 251 | 43% |
| 18 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 2,639 | 39% |
| 19 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 3,956 | 38% |
| 20 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,396 | 36% |
Most common cities for co-owner/operators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 11 | 10% | $31,569 |
| 2 | Ridgefield | 2 | 8% | $33,212 |
| 3 | Lexington | 2 | 6% | $31,537 |
| 4 | Hagerstown | 2 | 5% | $32,491 |
| 5 | Andover | 1 | 3% | $31,411 |
| 6 | Culver City | 1 | 3% | $33,582 |
| 7 | Boston | 13 | 2% | $31,587 |
| 8 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $25,063 |
| 9 | Cedar Falls | 1 | 2% | $25,275 |
| 10 | Columbus | 1 | 2% | $26,226 |
| 11 | East Hartford | 1 | 2% | $33,100 |
| 12 | Atlanta | 5 | 1% | $25,134 |
| 13 | Bloomington | 1 | 1% | $26,162 |
| 14 | Framingham | 1 | 1% | $31,629 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $28,066 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $27,920 |
Co-Owner/Operator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of co-owner/operator experts
Pennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Northwestern Michigan College
Culver-Stockton College
Nicholls State University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Ohio Christian University
North Carolina State University
University of North Carolina
Bernie Cerasaro
Assistant Teaching ProfessorPennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Business Department
What skills stand out on Co-Owner/Operator resumes?
Bernie Cerasaro: Skills employers would be looking for would be functional skills and interpersonal skills. Functional skills should stand out on a resume and be aligned to the business job in question. For example, if focused on marketing positions, marketing skills such as data analytics, market research, consumer behavior, global marketing, and professional selling skills would be areas for which employers would be looking. If the job market is looking for someone in accounting, then functional skills that would stand out would be intermediate financial accounting skills and courses on taxation and auditing. For those seeking positions in project management or supply chain management, skills that would stand out would encompass subject matter such as project management, portfolio management, operations planning and control, purchasing and materials management, and knowledge of ERP type systems and other business processes.
Skill sets can be enhanced via various types of certification. For example, those interested in accounting might pursue a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license, which requires 150 credits. As most universities require 120 credits for a bachelor's degree in business, a CPA would require just an additional 30 credits, which students can start accumulating while still at college. Project management certification is also an opportunity to enhance the aforementioned skills and would certainly stand out on an applicant's resume. The Project Management Institute (PMI) promotes PMP certification, which validates that you are highly skilled in soft skills to lead project teams and have the required technical aspects of managing projects. Some universities are working with the PMI to have PMI-approved courses. Approved courses are used toward the PMP training hours required to sit for the exam. For example, Penn State University has received approval for two such courses, Portfolio Management and Organizations and Project Planning and Resource Management.
Due to the high rate of interaction with the global marketplace and the complexity of international business, managers are looking more closely at applicants who have some familiarity with global markets and international culture, such as applicants who may have study abroad experience, traveled internationally, speak a foreign language or have lived or worked in another country.
Kristy Berak McDonald
Experiential Learning Institute DirectorNorthwestern Michigan College
Business Academic Area Faculty
What skills stand out on Co-Owner/Operator resumes?
Kristy Berak McDonald: I asked a local HR expert for this question- Jennifer Ewing. She told me, "Ability to lead and motivate, financial acumen and a strategic thinker."
I would add that experiential learning (internships, work/study, relevant class projects) any real-world application of business skills stands out!
Robin Jarvis
Director of Career and Internship ServicesCulver-Stockton College
Business Department
What general advice would you give to a Co-Owner/Operator?
Robin Jarvis: Be flexible. Employment trends were shifting and changing, before the pandemic hit, and we can expect more change in the days ahead. Opportunities are still out there, and we will recover from these challenges. I anticipate growth after stabilization and the creation of jobs that don't exist today. Be willing to take the skills you learned in college and apply them to a wide array of opportunities. Explore careers outside your area of study, and never stop learning. Most important - network, network, network!
Laura Lott Valenti
Assistant Professor of Marketing John C. Daigle Endowed ProfessorNicholls State University
Department of Management and Marketing
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Co-Owner/Operators in the next 3-5 years?
Laura Lott Valenti: I foresee technology that enhances communication and training as a central focus in the next 3-5 years. With the move to so many people and organizations being online, enhanced communications and training online are needed to maintain efficiency while also advancing technology in these areas.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Co-Owner/Operators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Laura Lott Valenti: Just yesterday, one of my sales students was told, in an interview, that the starting salary was $50K base and a commission cap of $22.5K for a virtual sales position with a well-branded organization. I think this is great and in line with the industry and expectations! (I also have three former students who work for the company, so he would be in great hands.)
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Co-Owner/Operator job market given the pandemic?
Susan Meyer-Goldstein: While the pandemic remains disruptive and dangerous for workers and the broader public, there are both "typical" business activities in many sectors and "atypical" activities in others. For those hoping to get their foot in the door with a new employer, there are industries where demand is robust - some health care industries, some food industries, logistics, certain types of retail (online, for example). Some industries, such as travel, are on hold now but will begin to recover as pent-up demand returns. Many professional services - accounting, consulting - and many tech-based industries continue to see strong demand, which means that those job markets are likely to be healthy.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Co-Owner/Operators in the next 3-5 years?
Susan Meyer-Goldstein: Well, all of them?
In addition to pre-pandemic tech development, many organizations are transitioning into new technologies, including more extensive use of some and experimentation with others. Recall that, while Zoom existed a year ago, most organizations barely used it. Now, it is ubiquitous, along with similar communication tools. The health care industry will likely be significantly transformed by technology over the next few years - not just telemedicine, but home-based medical treatments, artificial intelligence creeping into many processes, and enhanced use of information to drive activities across the industry - from tech development to insurance, pharm, elder care, etc. Many other industries will experience similar.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Co-Owner/Operators to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jon Tomlinson Ph.D.: This question can be answered in 2 ways. In general, those in the marketing field would most likely be employed by larger firms, and larger firm headquarters are more likely to be found in larger cities across the U.S. As we have certainly seen with the COVID situation, many employers are providing remote work opportunities, which can be easily accomplished by those in the marketing field.
Lewis Sheats
Assistant Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Executive Director of Entrepreneurship ClinicNorth Carolina State University
Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Department
What type of skills will young Co-Owner/Operators need?
Lewis Sheats: More than ever, students are going to need critical & entrepreneurial thinking skills and be good communicators. For clarity, we define entrepreneurial thinking as the ability to identify opportunities, build teams or solutions to address these opportunities, and the ability to articulate this to the correct stakeholders.
How do you envision technology impacting Co-Owner/Operators in the next 5 years?
Lewis Sheats: Technology is embedded in every aspect of our lives; this can lead to great positives and negatives. From a positive perspective, technology can lead to a greater reach for a recent graduate and increased efficiencies in accomplishing defined goals. This reliance on technology also leads to negatives, for example, the inability to disconnect and driving personal growth outside of the job.
What type of skills will young Co-Owner/Operators need?
Randy Myer: Communication skills, like those of a good salesperson, are first and foremost. You have to sell yourself, if you are going to get the job, and then convince others that you are worth moving to the next level in your dreams.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Co-Owner/Operators to find work opportunities?
Randy Myer: The major technology centers in the country are driving innovation and new companies. Job growth is most prevalent in young companies, and most of those start in hubs like Austin, TX or Raleigh Durham, NC. Yes, Silicon Valley is a major hub but so expensive, and CA is in trouble at so many levels, pick a hub that still knows how to manage growth