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Senior director, operations salary
Average senior director, operations salary
$149,771
Average Senior Director, Operations Salary
The Senior Director of Operations is an essential leadership role in many organizations, responsible for optimizing performance and overseeing strategic initiatives. As of October 2025, the average annual salary for this position is $149,771, translating to approximately $72 per hour.
Salary Variations by Location
Salary expectations can differ significantly across states and cities. For example, locations with a high concentration of corporate headquarters, such as New York and San Francisco, often offer higher compensation. Understanding regional salary trends is crucial for professionals aiming to enhance their career paths.
Job Opportunities and Industries
Senior Directors of Operations are in demand across various industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance. This role typically requires extensive experience and a proven track record in operations management. Professionals looking to advance should consider the qualifications and industries that align with their career goals, as well as the potential for salary growth in their desired field.
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Where can a Senior Director, Operations earn more?
Average senior director, operations salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior directors, operations are Washington, California, and Virginia. The lowest average senior director, operations salary states are Mississippi, West Virginia, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior directors, operations
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $152,840 | $73.48 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $144,812 | $69.62 |
| 3 | Washington | $187,230 | $90.01 |
| 4 | California | $176,426 | $84.82 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $157,524 | $75.73 |
| 6 | Texas | $141,609 | $68.08 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $154,232 | $74.15 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $142,673 | $68.59 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $168,014 | $80.78 |
| 10 | Virginia | $169,360 | $81.42 |
| 11 | New York | $151,310 | $72.75 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $140,483 | $67.54 |
| 13 | Ohio | $132,040 | $63.48 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $149,154 | $71.71 |
| 15 | Maine | $133,733 | $64.29 |
| 16 | Colorado | $154,543 | $74.30 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $144,857 | $69.64 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $128,525 | $61.79 |
| 19 | Oregon | $140,086 | $67.35 |
| 20 | Michigan | $128,948 | $61.99 |
| 21 | Alabama | $119,937 | $57.66 |
| 22 | Indiana | $123,375 | $59.31 |
| 23 | Illinois | $135,814 | $65.30 |
| 24 | Idaho | $124,261 | $59.74 |
| 25 | Georgia | $124,460 | $59.84 |
| 26 | Delaware | $131,893 | $63.41 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $124,241 | $59.73 |
| 28 | Kansas | $123,203 | $59.23 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $116,680 | $56.10 |
| 30 | Alaska | $128,532 | $61.79 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $116,676 | $56.09 |
| 32 | Iowa | $113,059 | $54.36 |
| 33 | Arizona | $128,297 | $61.68 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $119,439 | $57.42 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $106,885 | $51.39 |
| 36 | Utah | $122,188 | $58.74 |
| 37 | Florida | $112,326 | $54.00 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $113,569 | $54.60 |
| 39 | Maryland | $127,728 | $61.41 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $108,433 | $52.13 |
| 41 | Montana | $110,507 | $53.13 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $126,205 | $60.68 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $102,096 | $49.08 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $97,167 | $46.71 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $113,592 | $54.61 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $115,595 | $55.57 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $109,191 | $52.50 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $86,451 | $41.56 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $104,345 | $50.17 |
| 50 | Missouri | $97,075 | $46.67 |
| 51 | Vermont | $109,724 | $52.75 |
Highest paying cities for senior directors, operations
The highest-paying cities for senior directors, operations are Olympia, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Arlington, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia, WA | $198,154 | $95.27 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $189,830 | $91.26 |
| 3 | Arlington, VA | $174,561 | $83.92 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $159,796 | $76.83 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $156,113 | $75.05 |
| 6 | Andover, MA | $155,997 | $75.00 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $152,504 | $73.32 |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $150,221 | $72.22 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $147,091 | $70.72 |
| 10 | Newark, NJ | $145,962 | $70.17 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $143,230 | $68.86 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $140,809 | $67.70 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $140,016 | $67.32 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $136,446 | $65.60 |
| 15 | Newark, DE | $132,346 | $63.63 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $132,037 | $63.48 |
| 17 | Livonia, MI | $129,310 | $62.17 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $129,052 | $62.04 |
| 19 | Gaithersburg, MD | $127,879 | $61.48 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $125,241 | $60.21 |
Senior director, operations salary details
A senior director, operations's salary ranges from $103,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $216,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior director, operations's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $216,000 | $18,000 | $104 |
| 75th Percentile | $181,000 | $15,083 | $87 |
| Average | $149,771 | $12,481 | $72 |
| 25th Percentile | $123,000 | $10,250 | $59 |
| 10th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
Highest paying senior director, operations jobs
The highest paying types of senior directors, operations are senior vice president-operations, operations vice president, and director, technical operations.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Manager, District | $81,574 | $6,798 | $39.22 | 372,271 |
| Operations Program Manager | $111,378 | $9,281 | $53.55 | 319,602 |
| Operations Support Manager | $79,730 | $6,644 | $38.33 | 376,894 |
| Operations Vice President | $163,076 | $13,590 | $78.40 | 147,465 |
| Operations Director | $104,050 | $8,671 | $50.02 | 114,993 |
| Operations Manager | $76,894 | $6,408 | $36.97 | 343,868 |
Top companies hiring senior directors, operations now:
Which companies pay senior directors, operations the most?
Senior director, operations salaries at Genentech and City of New York are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior director, operations salary at companies like DoorDash and Sally Beauty Holdings are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genentech | $189,931 | $91.31 |
| 2 | City of New York | $189,841 | $91.27 |
| 3 | DoorDash | $188,462 | $90.61 |
| 4 | Sally Beauty Holdings | $184,139 | $88.53 |
| 5 | Course Hero | $183,986 | $88.45 |
| 6 | D2iQ | $181,387 | $87.21 |
| 7 | 99 Cents Only Stores | $180,851 | $86.95 |
| 8 | Greystar Real Estate Partners | $180,469 | $86.76 |
| 9 | Integrated DNA Technologies | $179,333 | $86.22 |
| 10 | Kaiser Permanente | $178,625 | $85.88 |
| 11 | Capgemini | $177,523 | $85.35 |
| 12 | Minted | $177,500 | $85.34 |
| 13 | Walmart | $177,216 | $85.20 |
| 14 | Anaplan | $176,911 | $85.05 |
| 15 | RingCentral | $176,147 | $84.69 |
| 16 | Corcept Therapeutics | $175,006 | $84.14 |
| 17 | Fanatics | $174,556 | $83.92 |
| 18 | Sutro Biopharma | $174,426 | $83.86 |
| 19 | Amazon | $174,332 | $83.81 |
| 20 | Children's Minnesota | $173,159 | $83.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Director, Operations salary by industry
The average senior director, operations salary varies across industries:
- The average senior director, operations salary in the hospitality industry is $155,611, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior director, operations salary in the finance industry is $154,314.
- Senior directors, operations in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $134,305, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior directors, operations
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $155,611 | $74.81 |
| 2 | Technology | $154,314 | $74.19 |
| 3 | Retail | $147,743 | $71.03 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $146,199 | $70.29 |
| 5 | Health Care | $144,534 | $69.49 |
| 6 | Professional | $144,471 | $69.46 |
| 7 | Transportation | $134,305 | $64.57 |
High paying senior director, operations jobs
Senior director, operations salary trends
The average senior director, operations salary has risen by $12,283 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior director, operations earned $137,488 annually, but today, they earn $149,771 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for senior directors, operations over the last decade.
Compare senior director, operations salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior director, operations salary over time
Compare senior director, operations salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior director, operations salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $150,000 | $72.01 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $146,000 | $70.01 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | $146,000 | $70.12 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $145,000 | $69.75 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $143,000 | $68.99 | +1.6% |
Recently added senior director, operations salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Einstein Bros. Bagels | Senior Director, Operations Services | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $175,000 |
| AAR | Senior Program Director, F-16 Operations | Wood Dale, IL | 06/29/2025 | $205,000 |
| Highwire Pr | Senior Manager/Director, People Operations | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Miravistarehab | Senior Director of Operations, M&A | White Plains, NY | 06/29/2025 | $150,000 |
| Invitrogen Holdings | SR. Director, Commercial Operations VVS and ATX | Plainville, MA | 06/29/2025 | $205,400 |
| College Board | Senior Director, Assessment Operations | San Juan, PR | 06/28/2025 | $78,000 |
| Northwell Health | Senior Director-Operations, Imaging Services | New York, NY | 06/28/2025 | $121,200 |
| Sutter Health | Senior Director, Donor Relations & Operations Philanthropy | Palo Alto, CA | 06/28/2025 | $169,151 |
| Northwestern Mutual | Senior Director of Operations-Hybrid (Relocation Package Available) | Franklin, WI | 06/28/2025 | $149,380 |
| Highwire Public Relations | Senior Manager/Director, People Operations | New York, NY | 06/28/2025 | $90,000 |
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