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Job outlook for directors of international operations in the United States
Director of international operations job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected director of international operations job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 189,200 new jobs for directors of international operations are projected over the next decade.
Director of international operations salaries have increased 4% for directors of international operations in the last 5 years.
There are over 7,590 directors of international operations currently employed in the United States.
There are 81,914 active director of international operations job openings in the US.
The average director of international operations salary is $102,574.
Are director of international operations jobs in demand?
Director of international operations job and salary trends over time
Director of international operations jobs over time
Director of international operations job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,590 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,969 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 6,104 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,823 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,625 | 0.00% |
Average director of international operations salary over time
Director of international operations salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $102,574 | $49.31 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $99,734 | $47.95 | --0.1% |
| 2023 | $99,883 | $48.02 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $99,368 | $47.77 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $98,280 | $47.25 | +1.6% |
Director of international operations jobs by state
Most common states for directors of international operations
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 329 | 38% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 239 | 34% |
| 3 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 890 | 28% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 808 | 27% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 181 | 24% |
| 6 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 609 | 20% |
| 7 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 936 | 19% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 752 | 19% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,016 | 18% |
| 10 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 837 | 18% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 248 | 18% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,233 | 17% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 328 | 17% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 181 | 17% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 98 | 17% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,902 | 15% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,583 | 15% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,546 | 15% |
| 19 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 976 | 15% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 201 | 15% |
Most common cities for directors of international operations
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burbank | 1 | 1% | $126,480 |
| 2 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $119,723 |
Director Of International Operations job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of director of international operations experts
Georgia State University
Drexel University
Utah State University
Wayne State University
Augsburg University
Pepperdine University, Seaver College
Sam Houston State University
Farmingdale State College
Northeastern University
The City College of New York
Belmont University
Sonoma State University
What general advice would you give to a Director Of International Operations?
Andrew Spicer: Resiliency is a particularly important skill for international business and career progression. Resiliency – the ability to recover quickly in the face of obstacles and failures – has always been a critical part of successful international assignments. The only constant of working abroad is that there will be miscommunication and mistakes. Successful international business careers depend on the ability to learn from these inevitable setbacks to improve over time. The constant change in the global business environment also leads to the demand for resiliency among international business specialists. An important role for those with a global mindset is to help companies adapt to the massive disruption to the global business environment for international trade and investment presently taking place across the world.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of International Operations?
Salomao De Farias: An International Business Analyst/Professional performs a variety of tasks that contribute significantly to understanding and navigating global markets. On a daily basis, these may include analyzing data trends and market information to identify patterns and insights that help in making informed decisions about market entry, product development, and other strategic moves. Also, IB analysts will work in compiling findings into detailed reports and presentations that communicate insights and recommendations clearly to stakeholders, they will be capable to use data visualization to simplify the complex set of data that they may face when analyzing a country's market potential. They will assist in the development of strategic plans based on analysis to help the company maximize its international potential and opportunities. A key responsibility is working closely with various departments (such as marketing, sales, and logistics) to ensure coherent strategies are implemented effectively across all sectors of the business. It is important to keep track of international economic and trade regulations, monitoring geopolitical impacts on international markets, and understanding international legal frameworks to adjust business strategies accordingly. I would say that for someone entering the field, initial activities typically involve more focused tasks such as data collection, basic analysis under supervision, and learning the specific technologies and methods used in their organization. They may also spend considerable time gaining understanding of the specific markets their company is interested in or already operating within.
What Director Of International Operations skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Salomao De Farias: As businesses increasingly operate on an international scale, the demand for professionals who can analyze and navigate international markets continues to grow. Adding to this, the advancement in data analytics tools has enhanced the capability to collect and analyze extensive amounts of data, making international business analysis more efficient and insightful. AI tools will help in this task. Understanding complex global markets is crucial as companies seek to expand or improve their global footprint amidst fluctuating trade regulations and geopolitical tensions. After the COVID pandemic and the disruption of global markets, more than ever there is a need for professional that can understand and navigate the complexities of IB.
What will help Directors Of International Operations increase their earning potential?
Salomao De Farias: Likes: IB analysts often see a direct impact of their work on company decisions and strategy, which can be highly satisfying. IB roles offer varied problems to solve, which can make every day interesting and intellectually stimulating. Working with international markets offers exposure to different cultures and business practices, enhancing personal and professional growth. Travelling internationally, getting to know different countries, cities and cultures around the globe. Dislikes: I wouldn’t call dislikes, rather challenges. I will start pointing that the stakes are high, as incorrect analysis could lead to poor strategic decisions. This pressure can be stressful. Also, navigating various international regulations, economic conditions, and cultural nuances can be daunting and complex. Depending on the markets covered, working hours might be irregular to overlap with different time zones.
Parfait Kouassi PhD.
Associate Teaching ProfessorDrexel University
Bilingual, Multilingual, And Multicultural Education
What Director Of International Operations skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Parfait Kouassi PhD.: Maximizing your salary potential when starting your career with multilingual and multicultural skills requires a strategic approach. While some companies offer language incentives, the true value of these skills extends far beyond financial compensation. Multilingual and multicultural individuals enjoy a wealth of social fulfillment by fostering connections, building bridges, and gaining deeper insights into diverse perspectives and ways of life. If you want to maximize your financial gain and your chosen field does not directly reward language proficiency, you should be aware that numerous opportunities exist across various industries that actively seek out and compensate individuals with your unique skill set. Fields such as international business, diplomacy, education, healthcare, and tourism highly value bilingual and multicultural individuals for their ability to facilitate communication, build bridges, and drive innovation in diverse contexts.
What will help Directors Of International Operations increase their earning potential?
Parfait Kouassi PhD.: My advice would be to embrace these valuable competencies as a competitive edge. Research shows that individuals with multilingual and multicultural backgrounds possess enhanced cognitive abilities, including improved working memory and mental flexibility for solving problems in innovative ways. They should actively seek out opportunities that allow them to leverage these unique strengths and pursue their passions while making meaningful contributions to their chosen field.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of International Operations?
Barbara Ribbens: It is important to develop your story about your skills and competencies to sell yourself to potential employers. Not many companies list jobs as International Business openings, but almost every company is happy to consider IB grads for their openings. IB grads are particular desired in rotational leadership development programs and in logistics/customs kinds of roles, but we have IB graduates go to work in many different companies and settings. We have found that IB grads tend to promote more quickly than average because they know a second language (which often results in improved communication skills) and they have studied abroad so they tend to be more confident and flexible than many other business graduates.
What will help Directors Of International Operations increase their earning potential?
Barbara Ribbens: Developing your poise and experience through college activities is essential beyond doing well in classes. Getting involved in student organizations, doing case competition teams, getting involved in consulting projects and taking on leadership roles are all good examples of ways to develop your skills. Doing a study abroad and an internship are both important steps to being ready to negotiate a good salary for that first job. Being able to clearly communicate your goals and how your experiences have prepared you for your career is key to successfully negotiating that first job and starting your career with a job that pays well and offers development opportunities.
Brent Allred
Professor of International Business and Strategic ManagementUtah State University
Marketing
What Director Of International Operations skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brent Allred: I get this question often from my students that wish to have international careers and job opportunities. One of the reasons we suspended our International Business (IB) major was that we found that not a single company was coming to campus to specifically recruit students with IB degrees. At the undergraduate level, companies are more focused hiring students with function skills from degrees like Accounting, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Data Analytics, etc. Few companies are looking for fresh undergraduates to come advise in creating and implementing high level international strategies. Instead, they look to those in the company and industry that have extensive experience. Due to the expense of sending employees abroad, fresh undergraduates are also not the prime candidates for international assignments. While Executive Ex-patriot assignments are declining (due to expense and the increased availability of local national talent), companies that wish to have employees acquire international experience are sending more mid-level managers for international assignments. This allows them to send high potential employees that have developed the understanding and talent of the company/industry/specific field to enhance their value to the company with international experience. So, the advice that I give my students is to first focus on the functional business degree that interests them most and complement this with an International Business Minor or our new Certificate. They should then seek out companies that have a global reach and provide international opportunities to employees. Once on the job, excel at that job, while also seeking out opportunities that will expose them to global projects and managers that can result in international opportunities.
Attila Yaprak Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing and International Business, Director, Doctoral ProgramsWayne State University
Mike Ilitch School of Business
What skills will help Directors Of International Operations earn the most?
Attila Yaprak Ph.D.: Portfolio of the above three with different weights depending on context.
George Dierberger
MBA Director, Associate ProfessorAugsburg University
Business Administration
What will help Directors Of International Operations increase their earning potential?
George Dierberger: Some early advice is to get an internship while you are in school in a multinational company. Secondly, given recent graduates inexperienced, they may want to get an entry-level position in a large corporation and network their way to the international division. Rarely will a company take a recent graduate and plug them into the complex world of international business. Being bilingual will open some doors right away.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Directors Of International Operations?
Steven Bauer: The coronavirus has accelerated the transformation to a digital world, and this effect will continue after the pandemic is behind us. Graduates will need to be able to navigate a hybrid business environment, with in-person and virtual meetings, interactions and platforms. There will also be increased opportunities to be entrepreneurial and innovative in the digital area. In addition, graduates will have to become more skilled at navigating a global environment since greater digitization will draw countries closer to each other.
Carliss Miller Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of ManagementSam Houston State University
Department of Management & Marketing
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Director Of International Operations job market given the pandemic?
Carliss Miller Ph.D.: Flexible working arrangements were considered a perk or benefit, but given the pandemic more and more jobs will be designed with flexible work arrangements in mind. We will continue to see trends in the labor market with a push towards personal services (e.g. virtual assistants, professional organizers) and professional services. There will also continue to be a demand for knowledge work. More and more, employers are looking to hire applicants that can provide concrete evidence of being "Day 1" ready.
Employers will focus more on identifying prospects with certain "soft skills" which were a nice-to-have pre-pandemic, but are now critical for organizational survival. These skills include: critical thinking, agility, ability to adapt to change, resilience, virtual team effectiveness, crisis management, emotional intelligence, empathy, and inclusive leadership. Additionally, data analysis and interpretation is a highly sought after skill even for jobs that historically did not require analytical ability.
What's a good job out of college for Directors Of International Operations?
Carliss Miller Ph.D.: Good jobs out of college are those that offer structured training, development, and job rotation. While some college students identified their career at age 5 and never veered away, some are still figuring out what they want to do after college. A job opportunity that recognizes the potential of new talent, willing to invest in training and development, and provides opportunities for new employees to experience different job functions enables new graduates to gain a realistic job preview that pays and allows them to identify an opportunity within the company that best aligns with skills and interests. Positions that are for a specific job function but have an apprenticeship model, like a "sales trainee" position, are also great for career stepping stones right out of college.
Xu Zhang Ph.D.
ChairFarmingdale State College
Department of Economics
What skills stand out on Director Of International Operations resumes?
Xu Zhang Ph.D.: I believe the most important attributes employers seek on a resume remain the same-problem solving skills, team work skills, analytical/quantitative skills, verbal and written communication skills. However, given the pandemic or any other unexpected shock to work environment, how to quickly and efficiently adapt to new work modes can be a very valuable attribute standing out on resume.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of International Operations?
Ravi Sarathy Ph.D.: Around 75% of the global market lies outside the US, so firms that want to grow sales need to understand and market to foreign customers. Similarly, with the restructuring of supply chains formerly concentrated in China, firms need to analyze alternative sources of supply in other counties such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Kenya, Morocco and elsewhere, find and qualify suppliers, and negotiate supply contracts with them, taking into account transportation and logistics, customs duties, economic and political stability, and so forth. Students who graduate with an understanding of how IB affects a business based in the US will be able to offer additional analytical and decision-making skills which will be helpful to their potential employers. In a complex technological world, firms will often seek overseas alliance and joint venture partners, and new recruits who have an understanding of and can help manage economic, political and cultural differences will be invaluable.
What type of skills will young Directors Of International Operations need?
Prabal Kumar De Ph.D.: I think the necessary skills remain the same. One modification that would stay is greater virtual engagement. Therefore, newly essential skills such as acing a virtual interview, making a mark during a Zoom meeting, or managing or being a valuable part of a remote working group would be useful long after the immediate threats from the COVID-19 crisis be gone.
Nina Woodard
Senior Career Development SpecialistBelmont University
Office of Career & Professional Development
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Director Of International Operations job market given the pandemic?
Nina Woodard: The pandemic hasn't impacted all areas of the entertainment industry in the same way. Anything related to live events and touring has been placed on an extended pause, which has been very difficult for graduates hoping to work in those fields. On an encouraging note, consumers will always find a way back to live experiences, so that segment of the industry will absolutely recover; the timing is just still a bit unknown. Other areas such as record or publishing companies have held steady. And, digital marketing and content creation companies are as busy, if not busier, than they've ever been as artists seek alternative ways to stay connected to their fans. Technology has intersected with entertainment in exciting, creative ways that will continue even as some of the more traditional avenues become available again. For many companies, ideas that started as pivots are now vibrant components of their long-term strategies.
The way we work may have also permanently changed. Companies have realized that remote working is a truly viable option for most businesses. While maintaining company culture, and the social nature of an entertainment-based organization, may still require some level of in-person interaction, it seems likely that many organizations may continue with remote/hybrid office models.
What Director Of International Operations skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nina Woodard: For entertainment, digital marketing and content creation skills are critical. Even if a role isn't specifically connected to digital marketing, social media is almost always involved in most entry-level roles. We strongly encourage students and recent graduates to learn basic graphic design platforms, video editing and audio editing. Learning how to maximize impact on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok is also a worthy investment of time. There's a wide range of self-paced training resources online, many available for free or at reduced costs for students.
Craig Nathanson Ph.D.
Adjunct LecturerSonoma State University
School of Business & Economics
What type of skills will young Directors Of International Operations need?
Craig Nathanson Ph.D.: I see the essential human skills gaining importance to build a new post-covid work life. These include creativity, leading and working in teams, writing, speaking, being self-aware, and lowering bias and networking; career branding as critical areas for graduates to focus on now.
What experience really stands out on Director Of International Operations resumes?
Craig Nathanson Ph.D.: Most important on resumes to only show accomplishments you are proud of and reflect measurable success and completion of past work. These accomplishments should be a snapshot of what we have done and can do in the future. The most important two lines of a resume are in the objectives, to list what the person is seeking. These two lines give the reader a quick view of what the person wants.
Now is a great time to start the new year to build a portable work portfolio to represent an alignment of what a person is excited about and enjoys in their work.