What is an Operations Associate?

If you want to grow in an entrepreneurial environment, build something meaningful, and have fun while doing it, you might consider a career as an operations associate. Becoming an operations associate, you'll enjoy great benefits, wellness programs, compliance, company retreats, and an incredible opportunity to interact with and learn from leaders in a collaborative environment.

Being an operations associate, you may perform a wide range of activities based on evolving organizational needs and personal skills and experience. Typically, you may report to the manager or director of operations and help them develop annual business plans, operational strategies, and solutions in line with the company's business.

The role of an operations associate is an entry-level position, so it requires little formal education. You may be able to get this role with a high school diploma or equivalent. Most companies may provide on-the-job training to you, as the requirements vary from industry to industry. Assisting and designing smooth day-to-day operations of a company, you may earn a median annual wage of $53,000 along with additional health benefits. What's more, the skills you cultivate working in operations may prepare you to manage projects, teams or even establish a perfect baseline of business acumen to start your own business someday.

What Does an Operations Associate Do

There are certain skills that many operations associates have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed interpersonal skills, organizational skills and writing skills.

Learn more about what an Operations Associate does

How To Become an Operations Associate

If you're interested in becoming an operations associate, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 64.5% of operations associates have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.4% of operations associates have master's degrees. Even though most operations associates have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become an Operations Associate
Top Operations Associate Jobs Near You

Operations Associate Career Paths

In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of operations specialist you might progress to a role such as team leader eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title vice president and manager.

Operations Associate

Average Salary for an Operations Associate

Operations Associates in America make an average salary of $52,703 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $95,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $28,000 per year.
Average Operations Associate Salary
$52,703 Yearly
$25.34 hourly
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Roles and Types of Operations Associate

The role of an operations associate includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general operations associate responsibilities:

  • In this role you will be in charge of delivering services
  • Duties may include, but are not limited to: perform manufacturing tasks
  • Provide excellent customer service to tql’s carrier base. Establish new carriers by obtaining all the necessary information from sales reps

There are several types of operations associate, including:

Operations Coordinator

Role:

Did you know that operations systems became widely applied as early as 4000 B.C? This was the period Egyptians began developing large projects, such as the pyramid which required organization and control of labor. In effect, we know how important operations management is in dividing up tasks and ensuring smooth production flow.

An operations coordinator is primarily responsible for supervising the progress of various departments within an organization. This involves tracking performance goals, monitoring the department's sales, procuring supplies, and negotiating contracts. Besides that, they also train employees, produce reports, and assist in administrative tasks.

Employers generally prefer operations coordinators have a bachelor's degree that is business-related but relevant work experience will be equally important. This role gives good exposure to opportunities such as project management, as well as operations director, after gaining enough experience. The salary earned is, on average, $22 per hour.

  • Average Salary: $41,934
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Business Developer

Role:

If you want to earn an average salary of $90,301 per year, you can try working as a Business Developer. With a job growth rate of 8%, you are also given a chance to further your career after some time.

With enough experience and years of working, you can be an Account Manager, a Regional Sales Manager, and a National Sales Manager after beginning as a Business Developer.

As a Business Developer, you will conduct in-depth business analysis and craft different strategies to help businesses grow and raise brand awareness. You will identify areas that need to be improved and come up with new ideas to strengthen your client base.

As a Business Developer, you are expected to be creative, have great interpersonal skills, and possess excellent organizational skills. When you have these skills, there is a big chance that you will land the job and do well in the field.

  • Average Salary: $101,635
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Operations Analyst

Role:

An operation analyst acts as an important part of the operating crew that supports data management. Beyond this, they also exchange processes, customer reporting, and issues resolution. You have to make certain of the data system stability by operating intimately with the operating crew and customer support service director.

Your duty also concentrates on various sectors comprising sustaining exchange systems and deal auditing. It also includes generating and validating customer functioning files and carrying out automated operations adjustments. Operating as an operation analyst, you would have to utilize several computer software. This means that you have to analyze and come up with resolutions for the company. You will also have to examine challenging areas like sector functioning, effectiveness or smooth running, and relevant enterprise-connected data.

To work as an operation analyst, the majority of employers opt for candidates with a master's degree. A bachelor's or technical degree in physics, engineering, or computer science could also be enough to get you this job. Additionally, you must be outstanding in computer skills and display great communication skills. You must have good math and interpersonal skills and must be detail-oriented. You will earn an average of $67,820 yearly or $23.61 per hour.

  • Average Salary: $63,082
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Operations Associate Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active operations associate jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where operations associates earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Operations Associate Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Texas3,281$42,547
2Florida2,796$40,255
3California2,329$63,899
4Pennsylvania1,805$56,146
5Georgia1,636$40,929
6North Carolina1,549$45,801
7Ohio1,481$46,170
8New Jersey1,465$70,167
9New York1,392$73,401
10Washington1,196$44,848
11Michigan1,055$47,420
12Indiana1,017$43,813
13Minnesota953$43,087
14Illinois930$59,367
15Tennessee850$41,262
16Wisconsin834$44,357
17Massachusetts768$69,706
18Missouri734$41,607
19Oregon687$43,212
20Arizona607$44,917
21Virginia591$50,218
22Utah575$40,318
23Kentucky548$42,986
24South Carolina547$41,241
25Alabama535$40,720
26Colorado513$40,295
27Maryland484$58,975
28Iowa448$42,514
29Arkansas393$46,537
30Louisiana393$41,555
31Kansas369$41,054
32Oklahoma359$40,815
33Nebraska317$41,521
34Nevada306$45,502
35Connecticut237$64,487
36Idaho224$47,306
37Maine208$51,911
38Rhode Island207$62,045
39New Mexico194$49,351
40Montana180$47,143
41North Dakota176$41,554
42West Virginia161$46,059
43South Dakota148$46,723
44Vermont139$52,303
45Hawaii136$44,112
46Delaware134$71,029
47Wyoming121$53,952
48New Hampshire118$67,653
49Mississippi118$45,233
50Alaska109$41,775

Operations Associate Education

Operations Associate Majors

Business
28.9 %
Finance
10.0 %
Accounting
7.0 %

Operations Associate Degrees

Bachelors

64.5 %

Associate

14.2 %

High School Diploma

9.7 %

Top Colleges for Operations Associates

1. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

Top Skills For an Operations Associate

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 27.9% of operations associates listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as interpersonal skills and organizational skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Operations Associate Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Operations Associate templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Operations Associate resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Operations Associate diversity

Operations Associate Gender Distribution

Male
Male
50%
Female
Female
50%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among operations associates, 49.8% of them are women, while 50.2% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among operations associates is White, which makes up 70.4% of all operations associates.

  • The most common foreign language among operations associates is Spanish at 45.9%.

Online Courses For Operations Associate That You May Like

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1. Security Operations

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Welcome to course 5 of 5 of this Specialization, Security Operations. This course focuses our attention on the day-to-day, moment-by-moment active use of the security controls and risk mitigation strategies that an organization has in place. We will explore ways to secure the data and the systems they reside on, and how to encourage secure practices among people who interact with the data and systems during their daily duties. After completing this course, the participant will be able to:...

2. Scaling Operations: Linking Strategy and Execution

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Over the past several decades, operations strategy has played an increasingly important role in business’ success. In this course, we will equip you with concepts and tools to build operations in a way that not only supports your competitive strategy, but also allows you to create new opportunities in the market place. Scaling operations: Linking strategy and execution is a five-week course dedicated to making strategic decisions that are grounded in operational reality. Together, we will study...

3. Operational Risks Management ORM

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Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

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Best States For an Operations Associate

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an operations associate. The best states for people in this position are New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Operations associates make the most in New York with an average salary of $73,401. Whereas in Delaware and New Jersey, they would average $71,029 and $70,167, respectively. While operations associates would only make an average of $69,706 in Massachusetts, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. New Jersey

Total Operations Associate Jobs: 1,465
Highest 10% Earn:
$124,000
Location Quotient:
1.44

$70,167

Avg. Salary

View 1,465 Operations Associate Jobs In NJ

2. Rhode Island

Total Operations Associate Jobs: 207
Highest 10% Earn:
$108,000
Location Quotient:
1.33

$62,045

Avg. Salary

View 207 Operations Associate Jobs In RI

3. Wyoming

Total Operations Associate Jobs: 121
Highest 10% Earn:
$94,000
Location Quotient:
1.58

$53,952

Avg. Salary

View 121 Operations Associate Jobs In WY
Full List Of Best States For Operations Associates

How Do Operations Associates Rate Their Jobs?

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Top Operations Associate Employers

Most Common Employers For Operations Associate

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Google$110,968$53.35465
2State Street$100,443$48.2980
3Morgan Stanley$99,794$47.98181
4JPMorgan Chase & Co.$97,045$46.66205
5M&T Bank$90,549$43.53142
6Netflix$86,982$41.82103
7Bank of America$80,397$38.65205
8Wells Fargo$77,493$37.2664
9Prudential Financial$60,517$29.0986
10Massachusetts General Hospital$58,498$28.12147
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Operations Associate Videos

Working at Google - Eliana: Business Operations Associate

Becoming an Operations Associate FAQs

How Much Do Operations Associates Make?

Operations associates make around $67,000 annually or $32.64 hourly. On the lower end of the salary range, they might make around $42,000. On the higher end, they can make $107,000, usually for senior-level positions. As most jobs go, factors like industry, location, and experience can determine your salary.

What Is The Career Path For An Operations Associate?

The career path for an operations associate varies depending on the company and industry. An operations associate is an entry-level position working in a business or company to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

What Is The Salary Of An Operations Assistant?

The salary of an operations assistant is about $38,000 yearly or $18.57 hourly. On the lower end of the salary range, they might only make around $30,000. On the higher end, they can make around $48,000. As most jobs go, factors like industry, location, and experience can determine your salary.

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated April 6, 2023