General and Operations Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services.
- Median annual earnings
- $105,324
- Projected change
- +8.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 3.65M jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
39.1% of the workforce
Growing to 3.95M by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What general and operations managers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
- Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
- Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
- Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
- Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
- Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
- Monitor suppliers to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide needed goods or services within budgetary limits.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $49,748
- 25th percentile
- $71,953
- 50th percentile
- $105,324
- 75th percentile
- $166,672
- 90th percentile
- $253,103
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $105,324 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
298,054 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 39.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 27.4%
- Some college
- 21.6%
- Associate degree
- 6%
- Certificate
- 5.7%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 0.2%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Operations Managers21,177 postings
- 02Assistant Managers19,453 postings
- 03General Managers19,010 postings
- 04Directors of Operations10,152 postings
- 05Operations Supervisors9,721 postings
- 06Assistant General Managers7,117 postings
- 07Manager Trainees4,032 postings
- 08Management Trainees4,010 postings
- 09Vice Presidents of Operations3,492 postings
- 10Store Management Trainees3,023 postings
- 11Executive Directors2,582 postings
- 12District Managers2,427 postings
- 13Business Managers2,271 postings
- 14Operations Leads2,121 postings
- 15Strategic Account Managers2,054 postings
- 16Regional Directors of Operations2,050 postings
- 17Field Operations Managers1,871 postings
- 18Sales Management Trainees1,736 postings
- 19Site Managers1,406 postings
- 20Supervisors1,294 postings
Top employers
- 01Amazon3,021 postings
- 02Dollar Tree2,341 postings
- 03CVS Health2,331 postings
- 04Enterprise Mobility2,107 postings
- 05Domino's Pizza1,966 postings
- 06GPAC1,740 postings
- 07JPMorgan Chase1,395 postings
- 08Enterprise Rent-A-Car1,255 postings
- 09Old Navy1,235 postings
- 10Marriott International1,202 postings
- 11Wells Fargo1,198 postings
- 12Capital One1,165 postings
- 13Menards1,138 postings
- 14Accenture1,083 postings
- 15Google1,082 postings
- 16PricewaterhouseCoopers1,053 postings
- 17PetCo1,040 postings
- 18Walmart1,007 postings
- 19Compass Group962 postings
- 20BioLife Plasma Services939 postings
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