General and Operations Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
General and Operations Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. The role reports a median annual salary of $102,950 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $46,440 and $210,830 and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.54 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Coordination, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £36,304 a year for Shopkeepers and owners - retail and wholesale (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 7131). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Bachelor's degree in any subject (CA, CS or CMA also qualify)[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam CAT for admission to a management programme at an IIM[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CAT eligibility — Indian Institutes of Management (read on 2026-09-27)
Entrance exams on this route — Dates, eligibility and cut-offs for the exams on the way to this career:
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Economics and Accounting
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Law and Government
A day in the life
You arrive early to scan financial reports, overnight sales figures, and operational dashboards before your first meeting, mentally prioritizing the fires that need attention today. Your calendar is packed: morning leadership huddles, one-on-ones with department heads, vendor calls, and strategy sessions where you balance budgets, staffing, and long-term goals against the realities of day-to-day operations. You walk the floor regularly, checking in with frontline teams, solving bottlenecks, and making judgment calls that ripple across the entire organization. The role is rewarding when you see your decisions move the needle on revenue or employee morale, but exhausting because the buck always stops with you and the problems are rarely simple.
Illustrative: one typical day. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does General and Operations Managers do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
What does a typical day look like in General and Operations Managers?
You arrive early to scan financial reports, overnight sales figures, and operational dashboards before your first meeting, mentally prioritizing the fires that need attention today. Your calendar is packed: morning leadership huddles, one-on-ones with department heads, vendor calls, and strategy sessions where you balance budgets, staffing, and long-term goals against the realities of day-to-day operations.
How much does General and Operations Managers earn?
The median annual salary for General and Operations Managers in the US is $102,950. The middle 80% of workers earn between $46,440 and $210,830 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $65,080 and $157,120.
What is the job outlook for General and Operations Managers?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 3,712,900 workers.
How do I become general and operations managers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does General and Operations Managers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Coordination, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace General and Operations Managers?
Our AI-durability model gives General and Operations Managers a score of 0.54 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
General and Operations Managers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.