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What is an operations support specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
George Dierberger
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To fulfill your job as an operations support specialist, you will need to integrate elements of administrative assistance, operations research analysis, and customer service assistance. Your primary responsibility is to guarantee that the operations of the company for which you work run as effectively as possible. This may entail examining and evaluating current procedures to find methods to improve them. Another important thing an operation support professional examines is how to guarantee that the business functions in a way that effectively fulfills the needs of its consumers.

Because operations support specialists work in a variety of industries and the specific training requirements differ from firm to firm, there are no uniform postsecondary education requirements, though you may be required to hold relevant certifications. Operations support professionals must also have good quantitative and analytical skills; thus, it will be beneficial if you have postsecondary study in disciplines like operations research or mathematics. The average annual compensation for operations supports professionals is $49,911.

What's a day at work look like for an operations support specialist?

George DierbergerGeorge Dierberger LinkedIn profile

MBA Director, Associate Professor, Augsburg University

Recent college graduates have had a tough time with covid and working from home. For workers who have children in school, it has been incredibly stressful with online demands for everyone in the family. For younger workers, the lack of connection has been challenging for everyone--Zoom meetings only get you so far. I look forward to a hybrid approach in the fall, when workers will have the option of going into the office. I do believe the days of commuting to work 5 days a week is over. I would be very concerned for the major downtown infrastructures (large buildings, high rents, parking spaces, restaurants) that the party will never be the same moving forward. Companies have discovered that their people may be more productive at home then commuting an hour each way into work.
ScoreOperations Support SpecialistUS Average
Salary
3.5

Avg. Salary $44,233

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 10.51%

Black or African American 12.03%

Hispanic or Latino 16.22%

Unknown 5.38%

White 55.46%

Gender

female 55.98%

male 44.02%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Operations support specialist career paths

Key steps to become an operations support specialist

  1. Explore operations support specialist education requirements

    Most common operations support specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    57.2 %

    Associate

    23.1 %

    High School Diploma

    8.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific operations support specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Operations Support19.18%
    Customer Service16.60%
    Data Entry4.55%
    PowerPoint4.23%
    Technical Support3.46%
  3. Complete relevant operations support specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operations support 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 support specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operations support specialist resumes.
  4. Gain additional operations support specialist certifications

    Operations support 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 support specialist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for operations support specialists include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research operations support specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage HTML developers to create and maintain FDIC Internet/Intranet.
    • Manage windows active directory, exchange, and file servers for user profiles and access.
    • Lead testing for all new store openings to ensure all POS and systems which support the retail team are fully operational.
    • Design and manage studies for alternative API qualification for commercial products.
  6. Prepare your operations support specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operations support 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 support 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 support specialist resume templates

    Build a professional operations support 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 support specialist resume.
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
    Operations Support Specialist Resume
  7. Apply for operations support specialist jobs

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

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

How did you land your first operations support specialist job

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Average operations support specialist salary

The average operations support specialist salary in the United States is $44,233 per year or $21 per hour. Operations support specialist salaries range between $27,000 and $71,000 per year.

Average operations support specialist salary
$44,233 Yearly
$21.27 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do operations support specialists rate their job?

-/5

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Operations support specialist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

Being an important COG into the system. The dynamic work flow ensures that you are always well vested into the multiple projects you will assist in facilitating resources too.

Cons

Not too much that I don't like. Learning curve was steep but I'm getting better all the time.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Cons

Work seems to be none-stop sometimes, especially since we are under staff. Work keeps me on my feed, but need to hire more people.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Cons

i dont like that when im a technical support im also being a customer service representative


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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