Lead operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead operator. Lead operators usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 45% of lead operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 19,327 real lead operator resumes to see exactly what lead operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead operators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online lead operator courses to help get the education required to be a lead operator.

There are certain lead operator certifications that you should consider. These lead operator certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a lead operator?

What degree do you need to be a lead operator?

The most common degree for lead operators is bachelor's degree, with 45% of lead operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 21% and high school diploma degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 45%

High School Diploma, 21%

Associate, 18%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a lead operator?

You should major in business to become a lead operator. 32% of lead operators major in business. Other common majors for a lead operator include criminal justice and general studies.

Business, 32%

Criminal Justice, 6%

General Studies, 6%

Computer Science, 5%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for lead operators

Lead operators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for lead operators in the US based on their resumes.

Lead operator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	25.83%
DeVry University	7.06%
Pennsylvania State University	5.86%
Texas A&M University	5.06%
Purdue University	4.39%

Show more common lead operator colleges

Best majors for lead operators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.0%
2	Criminal Justice	6.1%
3	General Studies	5.5%
4	Computer Science	5.2%
5	Accounting	5.1%

Show more common lead operator majors

Best colleges for lead operators

The best colleges for lead operators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A lead operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lead operators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become lead operators.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for lead operators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead operators

The most affordable schools for lead operators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for lead operators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for lead operators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead operators

The hardest universities for lead operators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for lead operators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for lead operators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead operators

The easiest schools for lead operators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead operator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for lead operators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average lead operator salary by education level

Lead operators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $129,652 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, lead operators earn a median annual income of $109,168 compared to $94,919 for lead operators with an Associate degree.

Lead operator education level	Lead operator salary
Master's Degree	$129,652
High School Diploma or Less	$84,335
Bachelor's Degree	$109,168
Some College/ Associate Degree	$94,919

Lead operator education FAQs

What is the best college for Lead Operators?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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