How do I start a career in operations management?

To start a career in operations management, a person should pursue a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field. While a student in college, a person should pursue an internship and experience in business and office environments.

How much should an operations manager be paid?

An operations manager should be paid $85,660 or higher. However, differences in pay rates can range from as high as $180,000 to as low as $50,000. The big discrepancy in salaries results from the differences in the operations manager's type of role from one industry to another.

What is the career path for an operations manager?

The career path for an operations manager typically starts with gaining direct experience in both business and operations areas. Generally, a person will start by gaining a bachelor's degree in business or another relevant degree.

What level is an operations manager?

Operations manager is typically a mid-level management role. While this depends on the size and structure of the company, these roles are typically for people who already have some experience leading a team.

What is a senior operations manager and how to become one

Q: What is a senior operations manager?

A senior operations manager is the position that manages the establishment and administration of operational services, programs, and initiatives. They differ from operations managers in that they have more responsibility and oversight.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Eric Olsen

A senior operations manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a company. They work to ensure that all departments of an organization are working effectively and efficiently together to meet company goals. This can include managing staff, monitoring budgets, analyzing data, and implementing improvements to optimize processes. They also collaborate with other senior managers to develop strategic plans for the organization and ensure they are implemented successfully.

What general advice would you give to a senior operations manager?

Eric Olsen

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.

ScoreSenior Operations ManagerUS Average

Salary

8.3

Avg. Salary $126,839

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.33%

Black or African American 6.14%

Hispanic or Latino 15.04%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.70%

Gender

female 25.76%

male 74.24%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a senior operations manager?

Pros

Opportunity to work with a wide range of people and departments
Exposure to different areas of the business, including finance and marketing
Challenging and varied work that keeps you engaged
Opportunities for personal and professional development
Access to training and resources to help you improve your skills

Cons

Difficulties in managing teams and dealing with conflicts between employees
Need to work under tight budget constraints
Difficulty in balancing competing demands from different areas of the company
Potential for job insecurity due to changes in the company's strategy or direction
Difficulty in maintaining a work-life balance due to long hours and high workload.

Key steps to become a senior operations manager

Explore senior operations manager education requirements

Most common senior operations manager degrees

Bachelor's

67.3 %

Master's

14.8 %

Associate

12.1 %

Start to develop specific senior operations manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	10.10%
Project Management	7.83%
Continuous Improvement	6.88%
Oversight	5.78%
Process Improvement	5.30%

Complete relevant senior operations manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior operations managers 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 a senior operations manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior operations manager resumes.

Gain additional senior operations manager certifications

Senior operations manager 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 senior operations manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for senior operations managers include Six Sigma Green Belt and Project Management Professional (PMP).

More About Certifications

Research senior operations manager duties and responsibilities

Organize efforts of team to achieve ACD productivity goals.
Manage the build-out and daily operations of a network operations center (NOC).
Manage and coordinate the staff for better inventory and stores management up to the ISO standard.
Manage existing department service contracts for facilities including cleaning, exterminating, security and HVAC.

Get senior operations manager experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior operations manager. The most common roles before becoming a senior operations manager include operations manager, manager team lead and project manager.

Prepare your senior operations manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior operations manager 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 a senior operations manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior operations manager resume templates

Build a professional senior operations manager 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 senior operations manager resume.

Apply for senior operations manager jobs

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

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

How do senior operations managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Senior operations manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022

Pros

I have leadership skills I always hire employees who like to work in a team I like to see sales increase and love to see the best customer service is given

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Cons

I don't like it when moral is low and nothing seems to perk employees up to become more productive at work.

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019