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Job outlook for vice presidents of operations and engineering in the United States
Vice president of operations and engineering job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected vice president of operations and engineering job growth rate is 2% from 2018-2028.
About 4,400 new jobs for vice presidents of operations and engineering are projected over the next decade.
Vice president of operations and engineering salaries have increased 11% for vice presidents of operations and engineering in the last 5 years.
There are over 36,255 vice presidents of operations and engineering currently employed in the United States.
There are 147,069 active vice president of operations and engineering job openings in the US.
The average vice president of operations and engineering salary is $172,316.
Are vice president of operations and engineering jobs in demand?
Vice president of operations and engineering job and salary trends over time
Vice president of operations and engineering jobs over time
Vice president of operations and engineering job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36,255 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 37,364 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 36,878 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 35,466 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 33,826 | 0.01% |
Average vice president of operations and engineering salary over time
Vice president of operations and engineering salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $172,316 | $82.84 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $166,900 | $80.24 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $162,210 | $77.99 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $158,706 | $76.30 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $155,261 | $74.64 | +1.5% |
Vice president of operations and engineering jobs by state
Most common states for vice presidents of operations and engineering
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 425 | 61% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 195 | 34% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,357 | 33% |
| 4 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,037 | 33% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,343 | 32% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 434 | 32% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 237 | 32% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,710 | 31% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,010 | 29% |
| 10 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 492 | 29% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 386 | 29% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 307 | 29% |
| 13 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 255 | 29% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 520 | 27% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 254 | 26% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 789 | 25% |
| 17 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 717 | 25% |
| 18 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,541 | 24% |
| 19 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,547 | 23% |
| 20 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 680 | 23% |
Most common cities for vice presidents of operations and engineering
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $138,741 |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0% | $154,221 |
Vice President Of Operations And Engineering job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of vice president of operations and engineering experts
Pennsylvania State University - Abington
University of Iowa
University of Maryland - College Park
San Jose State University
Chapman University
Clemson University
What general advice would you give to a Vice President Of Operations And Engineering?
Yi Yang PhD: For new graduates beginning their careers in engineering, I would advise them to consider the broader impact of their work and look for opportunities to expand their management potential. While engineering is a highly technical field, it's important to recognize the value of leadership roles in preserving a culture of innovation. By taking on these positions, you can help ensure that companies prioritize long-term innovation over short-term gains (cutting R&D to boost the balance sheet), thus preserving the engineering culture that drives meaningful progress.
What Vice President Of Operations And Engineering skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Yi Yang PhD: In the next 3-5 years, I believe management skills will become increasingly important. Engineers who can bridge the gap between technical complexity and business strategy, driving innovation and growth in their organizations will be very valuable.
What will help Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering increase their earning potential?
Yi Yang PhD: First of all, be really good at what you do. Always negotiate for a higher salary based on your qualifications and market value. Additionally, consider exploring opportunities in management and actively contribute to strategic decision-making. Taking calculated risks, such as joining a startup, can also lead to valuable experiences and skill development that can enhance your earning potential in the long run.
What skills stand out on Vice President Of Operations And Engineering resumes?
Casey DeRoo Ph.D.: Rather than a concrete skill, previous experience in managing teams to accomplish engineering-related tasks is sure to make you a standout. Showcasing familiarity with work management software (e.g., Jira) or budget/total effort tracking systems is important. Find out what software the company you're seeking employment with uses, and be sure to highlight this if you're familiar with it.
What skills will help Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering earn the most?
Casey DeRoo Ph.D.: Pay tends to scale with project team size or complexity of the budget managed. Showing an ability to lead large, diverse teams on projects with multiple stakeholders or manage a substantial annual budget will net you jobs with a larger starting salary.
Donald Yeung
Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Affiliate Professor, Computer Science DepartmentUniversity of Maryland - College Park
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
What skills stand out on Vice President Of Operations And Engineering resumes?
Donald Yeung: A degree at a highly rated engineering school is always a plus. For example, the ECE dept at UMD has a good reputation among local employers as well as employers elsewhere, such as Silicon Valley. Many of our students go to companies in these areas, and so we have a reputation based on the quality of students that go out. I think employers know what they're getting. Beyond the school from which you receive your degree, your GPA is also important. How well you do in the program you come from is important, too, obviously. And employers also know about grade inflation or deflation at different schools, so they can calibrate any student's GPA against what experience they've had with previous students' records. Besides that, employers also look for experience outside of the degree program, so internships, research experiences, any significant project experience, etc., are also a real plus.
What soft skills should all Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering possess?
Donald Yeung: In terms of soft skills, communication is by far the most important, I would think. This could be ascertained during the interview process. Also, being able to work in a team is a plus, too. This might be demonstrable from large project experiences. For example, our students participate in teaming projects outside of the ECE program like Terp Racing, Hyperloop project, etc. This could demonstrate a student's exposure to working on large teams.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering?
Donald Yeung: In terms of hard technical skills, I believe the courses students take along with their GPA in these courses is one level of demonstration. (As I mentioned above, employers know about our program probably down to specific courses, and so if someone gets an A+ in some notoriously challenging course, that's probably known and appreciated). Some employers will give technical interviews and require students to solve problems on their feet. But I think most employers will judge this based on a student's transcript.
What skills will help Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering earn the most?
Donald Yeung: Finally, in terms of compensation, I believe the Computer Engineering degree in our department garners the highest average starting salary across the entire UMD campus. The Electrical Engineering degree is not far behind. I don't know if specific skills within ECE garner more pay. But I can say that these days, Data Science (i.e., Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence) is the fastest-growing field, probably bar none. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, I think, puts the growth in this field at around 30% from now until 2026. I would expect the starting salaries in these jobs to be the very highest. So, perhaps having a background in Data Science and Machine Learning might get you a higher-paying job. But I also think it's dangerous for students to look at such statistics to guide what courses they take today (elective courses, that is). What's hot today may not be tomorrow. A career is 40 years, not the next 5 or 10 years.
Yasser Dessouky
Professor and ChairSan Jose State University
Industrial and Systems Engineering
What skills stand out on Vice President Of Operations And Engineering resumes?
Yasser Dessouky: Besides being very comfortable with various professional social-media platforms, the new engineering students must embrace developing their skills in artificial intelligence and data science techniques. Besides being an excellent team member, today's remote world requires engineers to have independent problem-solving skills for a career to thrive.
What skills stand out on Vice President Of Operations And Engineering resumes?
Tom Springer Ph.D.: -Classroom or work-related experience with electrical circuit design and electrical schematic analysis
-Exposure to control system design and theory, communications systems principles
-Lab experience with power/analog electronics testing or test methodology
-Understanding of digital design using hardware verification languages: System Verilog
-Experience leading engineering projects
What soft skills should all Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering possess?
Tom Springer Ph.D.: -Good communication skills
-Ability to exercise critical thinking and innovative problem solving
-Able to work under supervision and mentoring
-Works well in a team-oriented environment
What hard/technical skills are most important for Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering?
Tom Springer Ph.D.: -Experience/exposure to Automated Test Equipment (ATE) -Setup/Programming
-Understanding of basic software architectures and general syntax of coding languages such as C/C++
-Knowledge using Linux or Unix terminal commands
-Experience using Revision Control Systems: Subversion (SVN), CVS, Git.
-Exposure to System on Chip (SoC) hardware/software
-Experience with Robot Operating System (ROS) or equivalent is a bonus
What skills will help Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering earn the most?
Tom Springer Ph.D.: Skill sets that span domain disciplines are very much in demand. Such as a computer architect or electrical engineer with a strong background in software development
Dr. John Ballato
J. E. Sirrine Endowed Chair and ProfessorClemson University
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
What skills stand out on Vice President Of Operations And Engineering resumes?
Dr. John Ballato: The phrase "well rounded" may be getting old, but it's still true. We like to see graduates who didn't just go to class but worked in a laboratory or did a co-op/internship and had various extra-curricular activities, both personal and professional. Remember that materials science and engineering are leveraging computer science more and more, whether through atomistic or microstructural modeling or newer technologies such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). So having some familiarity with those and how they complement experimental/hands-on studies are helpful.
Another point about skills that stand out is a simple one - do your homework. There are few things more irritating than receiving a resume or email asking for a job, and the student clearly didn't care enough to look up what we do. The resume is a copy and paste and isn't personalized to the specific position, Group, or company. That stands out like a sore thumb.
What soft skills should all Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering possess?
Dr. John Ballato: To me, the most important soft skill has always been communication. And, due to the pandemic where people have had to isolate and possibly quarantine, effective communications are even that much more critical. We're spending less face-to-face time and more screen-to-screen time, which gets boring quickly. So, paying attention, being clear and concise in your communications since you don't have the opportunities as often now to simply walk into someone's lab or office and talk through ideas and next steps. Effective communications are also especially important in materials science and engineering because our field is innately interdisciplinary. This means that you might be the only materials scientist on a team that includes marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc. Knowing your audience, including your project team, and learning how to communicate with them is critical.
What skills will help Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering earn the most?
Dr. John Ballato: Here, too, the answer depends on the field, job position (and location), and organization. MSE graduates generally are well compensated compared to other engineering fields. The most important thing is that you wake up every morning and are excited about the work you're doing. There's no substitute for enjoying your work, regardless of how much you are paid.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Vice Presidents Of Operations And Engineering?
Dr. John Ballato: Important hard/technical skills really depend on the nature of the job/position and the organization. This really relates back to the What Skills Stand Out question. Employers want to know that employees have the requisite "toolbox" of basic skills and a willingness and aptitude to learn on the job. No person comes out of school with all the skills and experiences needed for a given job, so organizations inevitably continue to provide training on product-specific skills. Knowing how to learn, wanting to learn, and admitting what you don't know are as important, if not more so, than any hard/technical skills one gains during their education.