Laboratory manager of operations vs operations director

The differences between laboratory managers of operations 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 laboratory manager of operations and an operations director. Additionally, an operations director has an average salary of $104,050, which is higher than the $82,251 average annual salary of a laboratory manager of operations.

The top three skills for a laboratory manager of operations include clinical laboratory, chemistry and CLIA. The most important skills for an operations director are customer service, continuous improvement, and oversight.

Laboratory manager of operations vs operations director overview

	Laboratory Manager Of Operations	Operations Director
Yearly salary	$82,251	$104,050
Hourly rate	$39.54	$50.02
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	261,366	114,993
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a laboratory manager of operations do?

A laboratory manager provides laboratory diagnostics and medical information to patients. They act as a supervisor who monitors, inspects, and oversees all operations in a laboratory facility. They give training and information seminars to laboratory technicians on how to manage, repair, and use all laboratory equipment and software. Also, they are responsible for monitoring the inventory of supplies, laboratory tools, and other equipment.

What does an operations director do?

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.

Laboratory manager of operations vs operations director salary

Laboratory managers of operations and operations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Manager Of Operations	Operations Director
Average salary	$82,251	$104,050
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $137,000	Between $65,000 And $164,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Airbnb
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between laboratory manager of operations and operations director education

There are a few differences between a laboratory manager of operations and an operations director in terms of educational background:

	Laboratory Manager Of Operations	Operations Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Laboratory manager of operations vs operations director demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory managers of operations' and operations directors' demographics:

	Laboratory Manager Of Operations	Operations Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%	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, 67.2% 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%

Differences between laboratory manager of operations and operations director duties and responsibilities

Laboratory manager of operations example responsibilities.

Manage and conduct GLP evaluations and audits of service providers and facilities and processes.
Manage laboratory operations and staff, including test method development in compliance regulatory standards (ASTM, ISO, FDA).
Set up forensic DNA laboratory, train laboratory technicians in advance molecular techniques, and manage day-to-day activities of forensic DNA laboratory
Mass DEP, OSHA, etc .).
Prepare reagents and standards according to EPA procedures.
Interact with FDA on product testing issues and laboratory inspections.

Operations director example responsibilities.

Manage KPI reports from all warranty companies to ensure increasing sales and productivity.
Spearhead governance, security and compliance initiatives to achieve SOX and PCI compliance.
Manage a PMO style team to implement any changes across the global contact centers.
Develop all marketing strategies and materials as well as personally managing key OEM and national accounts.
Manage multiple vendor relationships for RFP development and review, contract negotiation, contract terms management, and accounts payable review.
Provide leadership to manufacturing organization by aligning overall KPIs to achieve near term and long term business objectives.

Laboratory manager of operations vs operations director skills

Common laboratory manager of operations skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Chemistry, 8%
CLIA, 7%
Lab Operations, 7%
Laboratory Safety, 6%
OSHA, 5%

Common operations director skills

Customer Service, 12%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Oversight, 7%
Patients, 6%
Project Management, 5%
Human Resources, 4%

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Laboratory Manager Of Operations
Laboratory Manager Of Operations vs Operations Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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