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The differences between director/operations managers and operations directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director/operations manager and an operations director. Additionally, a director/operations manager has an average salary of $108,519, which is higher than the $104,050 average annual salary of an operations director.
The top three skills for a director/operations manager include customer service, financial statements and payroll. The most important skills for an operations director are customer service, continuous improvement, and oversight.
| Director/Operations Manager | Operations Director | |
| Yearly salary | $108,519 | $104,050 |
| Hourly rate | $52.17 | $50.02 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 242,743 | 114,993 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A director/operations manager spearheads and oversees the operations of an organization. They primarily set goals and guidelines, establish roadmaps and timelines, participate in recruitment procedures, and implement policies and regulations, developing new ones as necessary. They monitor operations, pointing out issues and concerns should there be any. They also have the responsibility to make decisions, negotiate and finalize deals with external parties, and build strong relationships with business partners. Moreover, a director/operations manager encourages and leads employees towards the organization's short and long-term goals while promoting industry and company standards.
Operations directors oversee all company operations. They have the power to set the direction, change the course of the organization, and reform strategies to ensure efficiency in how the company operates. Operations directors manage business operations effectively by constantly analyzing company data and by anticipating any challenge that may come their way. As such, they make sound business decisions and recommendations that will help strengthen the organization. Operations directors oversee finances, quality control, and even human resources. They ensure that all aspects of the business are considered in making business operations decisions.
Director/operations managers and operations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director/Operations Manager | Operations Director | |
| Average salary | $108,519 | $104,050 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $161,000 | Between $65,000 And $164,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Novartis | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a director/operations manager and an operations director in terms of educational background:
| Director/Operations Manager | Operations Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between director/operations managers' and operations directors' demographics:
| Director/Operations Manager | Operations Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% | Male, 70.6% Female, 29.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |