What is a service operations manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Eric Olsen

A service operations manager oversees the operations of a business that provides services to customers. They are in charge of managing teams of employees, ensuring that customer needs are met, and maintaining high levels of productivity. Service operations managers work closely with other departments within the company to ensure that services are delivered efficiently and effectively. They may also be responsible for developing strategies to improve service quality, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction.

What general advice would you give to a service 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.

ScoreService Operations ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.5

Avg. Salary $82,811

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 6.29%

Black or African American 6.10%

Hispanic or Latino 14.92%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.90%

Gender

female 32.89%

male 67.11%

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 service operations manager?

Pros

Competitive salary and benefits
Opportunities for career growth and advancement
Opportunity to work with diverse groups of people
Chance to improve customer experience and satisfaction
Access to new technologies and tools

Cons

Long working hours and high levels of responsibility
Constantly changing priorities and demands from different stakeholders
Difficulties in managing conflicts or difficult team members
Challenging to balance operational needs with customer satisfaction
Need to stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices

Key steps to become a service operations manager

Explore service operations manager education requirements

Most common service operations manager degrees

Bachelor's

61.6 %

Associate

18.6 %

Master's

10.3 %

Start to develop specific service operations manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	17.74%
Patients	7.35%
Customer Satisfaction	6.44%
Service Operations	5.39%
Direct Reports	5.25%

Complete relevant service operations manager training and internships

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

Gain additional service operations manager certifications

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

The most common certifications for service operations managers include Six Sigma Green Belt and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research service operations manager duties and responsibilities

Lead heating and air conditioning (HVAC) service department increasing revenue, profit, safety achievements and employee morale.
Manage external warehouse and serve as primary liaison to outsource logistics and field support providers.
Manage and perform a broad scope of operational capacities, from payroll administration and budgeting to quality assurance and safety audits.
Coordinate and participate with the installation teams to help troubleshoot problems and resolve customer concerns while managing service and commissioning engineers.

Prepare your service operations manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your service 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 service 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 service operations manager resume templates

Build a professional service 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 service operations manager resume.