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Job outlook for operations support specialists in the United States
Operations support specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected operations support specialist job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 83,100 new jobs for operations support specialists are projected over the next decade.
Operations support specialist salaries have increased 9% for operations support specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,807 operations support specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 176,034 active operations support specialist job openings in the US.
The average operations support specialist salary is $44,233.
Are operations support specialist jobs in demand?
Operations support specialist job and salary trends over time
Operations support specialist jobs over time
Operations support specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,807 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,687 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,440 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,353 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,290 | 0.00% |
Average operations support specialist salary over time
Operations support specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $44,233 | $21.27 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $42,776 | $20.57 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $41,807 | $20.10 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $41,176 | $19.80 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $40,504 | $19.47 | +1.6% |
Operations support specialist jobs by state
Most common states for operations support specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 507 | 73% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 366 | 42% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 455 | 34% |
| 4 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 189 | 33% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 614 | 32% |
| 6 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 339 | 32% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,682 | 30% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 219 | 30% |
| 9 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,783 | 29% |
| 10 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 902 | 29% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 390 | 29% |
| 12 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 559 | 27% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 792 | 26% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 200 | 26% |
| 15 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,260 | 25% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 430 | 25% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,040 | 24% |
| 18 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,491 | 24% |
| 19 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,456 | 24% |
| 20 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 2,403 | 24% |
Most common cities for operations support specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethesda | 2 | 3% | $58,655 |
| 2 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $70,199 |
| 3 | Washington | 5 | 1% | $65,946 |
| 4 | Boston | 4 | 1% | $56,932 |
| 5 | Wichita | 4 | 1% | $36,022 |
| 6 | Tampa | 3 | 1% | $45,061 |
| 7 | Birmingham | 2 | 1% | $44,725 |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 5 | 0% | $50,436 |
| 9 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $47,241 |
| 10 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $48,717 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $44,139 |
| 12 | Austin | 2 | 0% | $45,537 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs | 2 | 0% | $40,146 |
| 14 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $39,834 |
| 15 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $48,594 |
| 16 | Houston | 2 | 0% | $45,676 |
| 17 | Jacksonville | 2 | 0% | $44,008 |
| 18 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $44,567 |
Operations Support Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of operations support specialist experts
Canisius College
Augsburg University
University of the District of Columbia
Carolina University
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Support Specialists?
Robyn Brouer Ph.D.: Yes, in that it will impact the world of business. The landscape of working for an organization is going to change drastically. I suspect that many jobs will remain remote or partly remote. Rather than dipping a toe into remote work options, organizations were forced to adopt them whole. Many will realize that remote work is more cost effective. This same impact will be felt for jobs that used to include travel. Many organizations have seen how easy it is to use online meeting tools and will not go back.
What's a good job out of college for Operations Support Specialists?
Robyn Brouer Ph.D.: I don't have silver bullet for this question because it is heavily dependent on a person's fit with the organization. That is, the same job at two different company cultures will be vastly different. Graduates should really explore what they value and try to find an organization that promotes those values as well. Other than that, I think a starting job that gives you a lot of breath of experiences should be valued by new graduates. It may not be the highest paying job, but it will build your skills (and thus your ability to move up) faster than jobs in which you are only doing one thing day after day.
What technical skills for an Operations Support Specialist stand out to employers?
Robyn Brouer Ph.D.: Employers can train on technical skills, what they routinely ask for are "soft skills"- they want graduates who can think critically, effectively communicate, can work well in teams, and do so in a professional manner with a strong work ethic.
George Dierberger
MBA Director, Associate ProfessorAugsburg University
Business Administration
What's a day at work look like for an Operations Support Specialist?
George Dierberger: 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.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Operations Support Specialist job market given the pandemic?
George Dierberger: The biggest trend the past 2 years has been the move to business analytics. Augsburg has added data analytics as a minor for the undergrad program and a concentration in the MBA program. Companies of all sizes are requiring data analytics for new hires. We have also added tableau, a data visualization software, a requirement for undergraduate and graduate programs. Both trends came from our business advisory council.
What soft skills should all Operations Support Specialists possess?
George Dierberger: Soft skills are a requirement for business graduates. The ability to play nicely in the sandbox with coworkers is critical for success. Also, a major trend is diversity and inclusion and equity for all workers.
Carolyn Cousin Ph.D.
ProfessorUniversity of the District of Columbia
Division of Science and Mathematics
What's a good job out of college for Operations Support Specialists?
Carolyn Cousin Ph.D.: A job that will allow you to advance and assist you in this advancement.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Support Specialists?
Carolyn Cousin Ph.D.: I think the impact on our graduates will be no greater than the impact that the pandemic will have on the Nation or the world as a whole. Making use of technology for interactive activities is cheaper and suitable to a degree but I have not found it totally satisfactory. A virtual meeting is not tantamount to a face-to-face meeting and our students have indicated to me that they have felt this difference. Also, I, as an instructor, have felt the difference and have tried to correct this but have not been successful. The University of the District of Columbia is known for its nurturing quality and virtual communications does not allow for the face-to-face association that most nurturing protocols required. I have only been able to achieve this relationship when I can sit with a student in the same room, listen and serve as a mentor.
I am able to relate my knowledge and assess my mentee's conversation couple with his/her body language and this allows me to determine my success or failure. Further, I have found it very difficult to almost impossible to hire a person in a position of authority or one in a position that I have to supervise, without a face to face meeting. This may be possible, if I interview the individual several times. Possibly then, I can get a better assessment. Personally, I feel that face-to-face interactions allow for better assessments. Further, I have had to change my research focus during the pandemic and I look forward to helping my students perfect their research skills which could not be enhanced via the internet. Observing a protocol performed is not the same as doing it yourself. This is, especially, true in our electron microscopy laboratory where perfecting ultramicrotomy is impossible to teach without close interactions.
What technical skills for an Operations Support Specialist stand out to employers?
Carolyn Cousin Ph.D.: In biology, you must have skills in molecular biology or biotechnology. You must be able to analyze data and relate it to the known literature which is obtained mainly from refereed journal articles in the field. You must have exceptional writing skills. No one has the time to teach you how to write.
Thomas Jones
Distinguished Professor of BusinessCarolina University
Patterson School of Business
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Operations Support Specialists?
Thomas Jones: The enduring impact for employment opportunities created by the COVID crisis may be felt across many academic disciplines, particularly at the undergraduate level. Students with undergraduate and graduate STEM degrees will not face challenges, it appears. In fact, there seems to be increasing demand across the board for STEM graduates at starting salaries similar to recent past years. The demand for business, business related economics, computer technology and information systems, and accounting graduates at both the graduate and undergraduate levels remains strong, particularly at the graduate level. Liberal arts, education, health and exercise science, and religion graduates (to identify a few) at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are facing a completely different reality, it appears. Because of declining job demand for these graduates, many will find job placement difficult and, in many cases will need to seek temporary employment in jobs not requiring college educations.
No one really knows what the long-term impact of working from home will be. And the timing for large numbers of students returning to large classrooms is also an unknown. Both of these events may have significant ramifications. For instance, if large numbers of employees do not return to the downtown office, the economic impact could be massive. Commercial real estate, transportation related industries, restaurants, office equipment manufacturing and sales, city tax bases, and a host of other issues will come into play. We are already seeing cities such as New York attempting to tax the earnings of employees at home in other states. If learning online becomes the norm for some portion of the K-12 experience or in higher education, there will be similar upheavals that will be devastating for some players in the academic world. How this plays out across time is anyone's guess. But for the current graduate without a STEM, computer, or business related degree, the market may remain tight for some time to come. Another, rarely addressed issue, is learning to communicate with other age groups. Coming from liberal arts and non-professional education is creating, for many, a significant inability to effectively communicate with other age groups. This has been a topic addressed by top executives and major consulting firms for several years. This is a factor, not related to COVID, that lessens job opportunities for many current college graduates.
This also points out the critical importance of mastering computer technology for all graduates. Working from home carries with it an implicit ability with computer technology. An understanding of windows, Power Pont, some kind of spread-sheet ability, and an understanding of Zoom or similar technologies (along with key-board skills right now), is the base requirement to work from home. Technology is moving in the direction of language translation so key-board skills may become a thing of the past but not for today's graduate. Lower skill level jobs are rarely doable from home and this creates another set of issues, not related to the challenges being faced by graduates from today's institutions of higher education.