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Operations agent vs operations specialist

The differences between operations agents and operations specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operations specialist has an average salary of $54,752, which is higher than the $40,735 average annual salary of an operations agent.

The top three skills for an operations agent include logistics, data entry and FAA. The most important skills for an operations specialist are customer service, logistics, and basic math.

Operations agent vs operations specialist overview

Operations AgentOperations Specialist
Yearly salary$40,735$54,752
Hourly rate$19.58$26.32
Growth rate6%10%
Number of jobs90,038109,181
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

What does an operations agent do?

Airline operations agents are in charge of organizing airline operations, arranging boarding and descending tasks, and maintaining schedules and passengers. They must also provide excellent customer service most of the time, assist in unexpected conditions, and answer inquiries. Also, they are responsible for communicating routinely with transmittal to organize arrivals and departures and must abide by all protocols for boarding and check the precision of documentation. Additionally, they control ground security, interface with radio equipment, evaluate weather conditions, and delay or cancel flights if needed. Candidates for the job must have strong interpersonal skills to work well with clients and staff as well as able to multitask since they work in fast-paced surroundings and on distinct projects at the same time.

What does an operations specialist do?

An operations specialist is responsible for optimizing the business' daily operations, ensuring smooth process flow to provide the best services to clients. Operations specialists' duties include analyzing business procedures, identifying opportunities for business improvement, tracking the department's metrics and activities, providing assistance to colleagues, suggesting strategies for operations efficiency, and managing customer's inquiries and complaints. An operations specialist must be an excellent team player and detail-oriented, as well as proven time-management and decision-making skills to meet clients' needs and support the business' objectives.

Operations agent vs operations specialist salary

Operations agents and operations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Operations AgentOperations Specialist
Average salary$40,735$54,752
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $54,000Between $35,000 And $85,000
Highest paying CityBaltimore, MDWashington, DC
Highest paying stateMarylandRhode Island
Best paying companyElancoCoatue Management
Best paying industryTechnologyGovernment

Differences between operations agent and operations specialist education

There are a few differences between an operations agent and an operations specialist in terms of educational background:

Operations AgentOperations Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-Western Carolina University

Operations agent vs operations specialist demographics

Here are the differences between operations agents' and operations specialists' demographics:

Operations AgentOperations Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 57.3% Female, 42.7%Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between operations agent and operations specialist duties and responsibilities

Operations agent example responsibilities.

  • Manage and run both offices of the Connecticut branch of TWIC.
  • Manage LTL and FCL trucking scheduling, vendor invoice approvals and all DG shipments.
  • Integrate logistics principles into supply chain solutions to resolve customer issues and achieve customer satisfaction.
  • Manage corporate travel arrangements for executive and VIP clients and organize travel billing for corporate accounts.
  • Track freight shipments on SWA dedicate system.
  • Maintain up to date with all TSA requirements.
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Operations specialist example responsibilities.

  • Develop and implement VBA scripts to automate tasks in financial reporting.
  • Manage all international A/R functions, reporting, sales, expense analysis and marketing campaigns as well as all royalties.
  • Manage and process 100 FDA electronic and paper submissions including safety reports, new investigator reports, amendments, and protocols.
  • Demonstrate ability to manage and organize clinical setting for patients and families.
  • Personalize and manage a customer SQL network database to consolidate all incoming orders from different marketplaces.
  • Manage a variety of operational tasks for moderately complex securities transactions that require knowledge of vary systems and processes.
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Operations agent vs operations specialist skills

Common operations agent skills
  • Logistics, 15%
  • Data Entry, 13%
  • FAA, 6%
  • Windows, 5%
  • Computer System, 5%
  • Math, 5%
Common operations specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Logistics, 4%
  • Basic Math, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 4%
  • Operational Procedures, 4%

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