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The differences between operations management specialists and chiefs of operations can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an operations management specialist and a chief of operations. Additionally, a chief of operations has an average salary of $124,927, which is higher than the $61,754 average annual salary of an operations management specialist.
The top three skills for an operations management specialist include operations management, logistics and powerpoint. The most important skills for a chief of operations are oversight, emergency operations, and logistical support.
| Operations Management Specialist | Chief Of Operations | |
| Yearly salary | $61,754 | $124,927 |
| Hourly rate | $29.69 | $60.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 137,664 | 93,283 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An operations management specialist is responsible for ensuring that the company's day-to-day operations run smoothly and efficiently. Your duties may vary but will most likely include optimizing operational procedures and processes, looking for ways to enhance customer experience, and supervising the operations team. In addition, it is your duty to train new staff and interact with customers, answer their inquiries, and resolve issues. As an operations management specialist, it is also your duty to ensure that policies and procedures are maintained and complied with.
The chief of operations is responsible for monitoring the overall operational process of a company, maintaining efficient project management, and accurate project deliverables. They contribute to the implementation of corporate decisions, including the development of the company's policies and procedures. They also support the CEO in board meetings to report the business' performance and identify opportunities to increase brand awareness and boost profitability. The chief of operations handles financial transactions of the business, as well as budgeting and allocating resources for each department.
Operations management specialists and chiefs of operations have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Management Specialist | Chief Of Operations | |
| Average salary | $61,754 | $124,927 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $98,000 | Between $86,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | University of Maryland, Baltimore | |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Government |
There are a few differences between an operations management specialist and a chief of operations in terms of educational background:
| Operations Management Specialist | Chief Of Operations | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between operations management specialists' and chiefs of operations' demographics:
| Operations Management Specialist | Chief Of Operations | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |