How To Become An Operations Management Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an operations management specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Eric Olsen

An Operations Management Specialist must oversee the flow of the workplace and structure daily activities. The role of an Operations Management Specialist also involves identifying what the customers want; again, they analyze business operations and bring customers closer to the company.

They are also responsible for creating the highest level of efficiency among the workers in an organization. Operations Management Specialists are more concerned with converting labor and materials into profit. In some sectors, they assist in the development of emergency response and information protection in an organization.

There are some skills you need to acquire in other to perfect in this profession, or better still, increase your chances of getting a job. These skills include: Communication skills, Customer Service, Ability to Sale, Motivational skills, Strong Negotiation skills, Good organizational skills.

The qualification needed for this job includes a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Management, Administration, or Marketing. But in this job, employers look for skills by mere educational qualifications. So, when you are trying to get your degrees, make sure you augment your skills.

As for the salary structure of an Operations Management Specialist, it depends on the experience, the size of the organization, and the country in which you reside. In the United States, Operations Management specialists are paid $60,061 per annum. But it can go as high as $91,000 or as low as $39,000 per annum, depending on your experience.

What general advice would you give to an Operations Management Specialist?

Eric Olsen

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.

ScoreOperations Management SpecialistUS Average

Salary

4.8

Avg. Salary $61,754

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.40%

Black or African American 6.22%

Hispanic or Latino 15.31%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.27%

Gender

female 40.23%

male 59.77%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an operations management specialist

Explore operations management specialist education requirements

Most common operations management specialist degrees

Bachelor's

60.5 %

Associate

16.9 %

Master's

10.3 %

Start to develop specific operations management specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Operations Management	10.06%
Logistics	10.02%
PowerPoint	9.97%
Project Management	9.18%
Excellent Interpersonal	7.44%

Complete relevant operations management specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operations management specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an operations management specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operations management specialist resumes.

Gain additional operations management specialist certifications

Operations management specialist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific operations management specialist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for operations management specialists include Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

More About Certifications

Research operations management specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage team of database administrators, database technicians and systems administrators responsible for maintaining all production, development and QA systems.
Support new business development by participating in brainstorming sessions and developing PowerPoint presentations
Maintain, design and support the development of SharePoint sites for several programs.
Create, edit, and upload these and other documentation to Microsoft SharePoint for government client to review.

Prepare your operations management specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operations management specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an operations management specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Operations Management Specialist Resume templates

Build a professional Operations Management Specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Operations Management Specialist resume.

Apply for operations management specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an operations management specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average operations management specialist salary

The average Operations Management Specialist salary in the United States is $61,754 per year or $30 per hour. Operations management specialist salaries range between $38,000 and $98,000 per year.

Average Operations Management Specialist Salary

$61,754 Yearly

$29.69 hourly

How do operations management specialists rate their job?

-/5

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Operations Management Specialist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019