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As a Director of Programs and Operations, you are essential to the strategic direction of your organization. Currently, the average salary in this role is $73,132 per year, translating to about $35 per hour. Salary can vary significantly based on experience, location, and industry. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher compensation due to their cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
Salary estimates show that entry-level positions may start around $55,000, while those with extensive experience can earn over $100,000. Additionally, non-profit sectors might offer different compensation structures compared to corporate environments. Understanding these nuances will help you gauge your earning potential effectively.
Explore job boards and company salary reports to find the best opportunities in your area. This role is crucial in program development and operational efficiency, making it a fulfilling path for those passionate about leadership and organizational success. Seek out companies that align with your values and career goals to maximize your professional satisfaction.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level director of programs and operations | $30,100 | $14.48 |
| Mid-level director of programs and operations | $46,500 | $22.37 |
| Senior-level director of programs and operations | $84,400 | $40.55 |
The highest-paying states for directors of programs and operations are New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The lowest average director of programs and operations salary states are Idaho, Florida, and Oklahoma.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $127,658 | $61.37 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $99,626 | $47.90 |
| 3 | New York | $121,470 | $58.40 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $96,019 | $46.16 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $89,218 | $42.89 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $99,038 | $47.61 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $97,026 | $46.65 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $78,304 | $37.65 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $84,517 | $40.63 |
| 10 | Indiana | $82,236 | $39.54 |
| 11 | Delaware | $90,051 | $43.29 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $87,497 | $42.07 |
| 13 | Georgia | $82,877 | $39.84 |
| 14 | Iowa | $77,441 | $37.23 |
| 15 | Colorado | $95,047 | $45.70 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $82,359 | $39.60 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $81,270 | $39.07 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $78,412 | $37.70 |
| 19 | Virginia | $89,231 | $42.90 |
| 20 | Maine | $78,804 | $37.89 |
| 21 | Michigan | $79,355 | $38.15 |
| 22 | Texas | $73,656 | $35.41 |
| 23 | Alabama | $71,429 | $34.34 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $71,195 | $34.23 |
| 25 | Illinois | $82,278 | $39.56 |
| 26 | California | $83,754 | $40.27 |
| 27 | Maryland | $85,330 | $41.02 |
| 28 | Missouri | $75,578 | $36.34 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $72,061 | $34.64 |
| 30 | Ohio | $70,202 | $33.75 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $62,891 | $30.24 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $58,447 | $28.10 |
| 33 | Nevada | $65,531 | $31.51 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $59,372 | $28.54 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $68,544 | $32.95 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $66,523 | $31.98 |
| 37 | Kansas | $66,820 | $32.13 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $66,654 | $32.05 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $68,409 | $32.89 |
| 40 | Washington | $61,788 | $29.71 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $54,677 | $26.29 |
| 42 | Vermont | $68,397 | $32.88 |
| 43 | Oregon | $66,650 | $32.04 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $52,662 | $25.32 |
| 45 | Alaska | $56,122 | $26.98 |
| 46 | Idaho | $55,051 | $26.47 |
| 47 | Florida | $54,852 | $26.37 |
| 48 | Montana | $49,854 | $23.97 |
| 49 | Arizona | $63,035 | $30.31 |
| 50 | Utah | $56,025 | $26.94 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $39,927 | $19.20 |
The highest-paying cities for directors of programs and operations are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Philadelphia, PA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $129,350 | $62.19 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $122,739 | $59.01 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $100,505 | $48.32 |
| 4 | Newark, NJ | $96,120 | $46.21 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $88,840 | $42.71 |
| 6 | Norwood, MA | $87,925 | $42.27 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $85,541 | $41.13 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $83,060 | $39.93 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $82,625 | $39.72 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $82,261 | $39.55 |
| 11 | Sioux Falls, SD | $80,390 | $38.65 |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO | $74,355 | $35.75 |
| 13 | Houston, TX | $74,192 | $35.67 |
| 14 | Saint Paul, MN | $72,205 | $34.71 |
| 15 | Bismarck, ND | $70,365 | $33.83 |
| 16 | Columbia, SC | $68,862 | $33.11 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | $68,681 | $33.02 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $63,033 | $30.30 |
| 19 | Seattle, WA | $61,925 | $29.77 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $55,881 | $26.87 |
A director of programs and operations's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $126,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $126,000 | $10,500 | $61 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $73,132 | $6,094 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
The highest paying types of directors of programs and operations are senior director, operations, director, technical operations, and executive director of operations.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District Director | $100,695 | $8,391 | $48.41 | 57,276 |
| Division Director | $120,757 | $10,063 | $58.06 | 63,545 |
| Managing Director | $129,690 | $10,808 | $62.35 | 81,022 |
| Area Director | $100,433 | $8,369 | $48.29 | 47,326 |
| Operations Director | $104,050 | $8,671 | $50.02 | 114,993 |
| Operations Manager | $76,894 | $6,408 | $36.97 | 343,868 |
Top companies hiring directors of programs and operations now:
Director of programs and operations salaries at Meta and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of programs and operations salary at companies like New York University and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $183,419 | $88.18 |
| 2 | $179,821 | $86.45 | |
| 3 | New York University | $167,404 | $80.48 |
| 4 | Amazon | $163,124 | $78.42 |
| 5 | Moderna | $156,504 | $75.24 |
| 6 | AstraZeneca | $152,953 | $73.54 |
| 7 | Alexion Pharmaceuticals | $149,651 | $71.95 |
| 8 | Regeneron | $146,499 | $70.43 |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $135,179 | $64.99 |
| 10 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $134,362 | $64.60 |
| 11 | General Electric | $134,200 | $64.52 |
| 12 | Baton Rouge General Medical Center | $131,402 | $63.17 |
| 13 | Sanofi US | $128,755 | $61.90 |
| 14 | Agilent Technologies | $128,123 | $61.60 |
| 15 | Northwestern Medicine | $124,496 | $59.85 |
| 16 | Qualcomm | $122,265 | $58.78 |
| 17 | Federal Reserve | $120,028 | $57.71 |
| 18 | Federal Reserve Bank | $118,246 | $56.85 |
| 19 | CareerArc | $113,112 | $54.38 |
| 20 | Jefferies | $111,973 | $53.83 |
The average director of programs and operations salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $105,686 | $50.81 |
| 2 | Finance | $100,514 | $48.32 |
| 3 | Media | $89,665 | $43.11 |
| 4 | Health Care | $78,295 | $37.64 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $73,140 | $35.16 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $72,930 | $35.06 |
| 7 | Professional | $68,619 | $32.99 |
The average director of programs and operations salary has risen by $5,997 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of programs and operations earned $67,135 annually, but today, they earn $73,132 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for directors of programs and operations over the last decade.
Compare director of programs and operations salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare director of programs and operations salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,100 | $35.16 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $71,100 | $34.19 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | $71,200 | $34.24 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $70,800 | $34.06 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $70,100 | $33.69 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.51 | Experience Design-Co-Op Program-Fall 2025 | Cincinnati, OH | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| 84.51 | Media Campaign Operations-Co-Op Program-Fall 2025 | Cincinnati, OH | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago | Director of Operations, Teen Programming | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $82,500 |
| City of Atlanta | Director of Fiscal and Program Operations-Grant Services | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $88,654 |
| Aerovironment | Director, Program Operations & NPI | Simi Valley, CA | 06/25/2025 | $153,308 |
| Lantern Community Services Inc. | Director of Program Operations-Liberty Plaz | Fine, NY | 06/22/2025 | $65,000 |
| Onondaga Community College | Director of Health Program Operations-Onondaga Community College | Syracuse, NY | 06/13/2025 | $58,564 |
| Cornerstone Caregiving | Top Gun-Operating Director Training Program | Pittsburgh, PA | 06/10/2025 | $80,000 |
| Chesterwye Center | Director of Program Operations | Grasonville, MD | 06/05/2025 | $85,000 |
| GE Aerospace | Operations Management Leadership Program (Omlp)-US-March 2026 Start | Arkansas City, KS | 06/05/2025 | $77,000 |
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