The number-two executive who runs the company's day-to-day machine so the CEO can focus on the big picture.
You review last week's delivery delays with the head of logistics, approve a new factory shift schedule, and work out why customer support response times got worse. Then you meet with the CEO to turn next year's goals into concrete plans.
Large-company COOs often earn well above the BLS top-code through bonuses and stock.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 18 years after high school. Bachelor's plus long operations experience; MBA common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Grouped with top executives.
Low risk for 10 years. AI dashboards and planning tools speed decisions; running the daily machine and fixing what breaks stays human.
Classes: AP Statistics, Business elective, AP Microeconomics, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.