Also called: Operations Manager, General Manager
Manages the daily operations of a business or division: staff, budgets, schedules and results.
You walk the floor at 8 a.m., check that every department has enough people, then sit down with the budget. Afternoons are for solving whatever broke: a late shipment, a staff conflict, a customer threatening to leave.
Huge range: a small-business manager may earn $50k while a big-company operations head earns $200k+.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in business is common; many promoted after years of experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Business Administration, Management, Operations Management.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). About 230,000 openings a year; one of the largest management jobs.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI reporting tools flatten middle management, so fewer layers are needed; solving people and floor problems stays human.
Classes: Business elective, AP Statistics, Accounting, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1021.
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.