Career Outlook
General and Operations Managers
BLS employment projections 2024–2034 · SOC 11-1021
Projected Growth
+4.4%
2024–2034
Annual Openings
308,700
projected/year
Median Salary
$106K
annual (BLS 2025)
Current Employment
3,503,020
workers (2023)
The General and Operations Managers career outlook (SOC 11-1021) combines two separate BLS data products: Employment Projections for 2024-2034 trajectory, and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from May 2025 for current pay. Projected employment change is +4.4% over the decade, which BLS classifies as about as fast as average versus the 5% all-occupations baseline. That places it 0.6 percentage points below the national average across all occupations. Annual openings combining growth, retirement replacement, and transfers are projected at 308,700 per year.
Current workforce size for this occupation stands at approximately 3,503,020 based on the BLS OEWS May 2025 count. Median pay sits at $105,770 per year ($50.85/hr/hour), with a 10th-to-90th percentile spread from $50,090 to $253,390 - enough range that the choice between entry and senior positioning can change total earnings by 2-3× over a career. Typical entry-level credential is Bachelor's degree, with 5 years or more of prior experience generally expected.
How to read these projections
Growth projections are directional indicators, not guarantees. BLS revises these every two years based on updated demographic, technology, and policy inputs, the 2024-2034 projections already factor in assumptions about AI adoption, remote-work normalization, demographic aging, energy transition, and post-pandemic industry shifts, but unforeseen disruptions (recessions, breakthrough technologies, policy changes) can reshape 5-year-out numbers. When treating this page as career-decision evidence, pair the growth percentage with annual openings (small occupations growing fast can still offer few actual entry points, while large occupations growing slowly can offer thousands of replacement opportunities), look at the percentile pay band to understand realistic entry and senior compensation, and check whether the credential requirements match your current educational investment. The "Similar Occupations" list below highlights adjacent SOC codes worth considering as comparison anchors or alternative pathways.
Job Growth Projection
+4.4%
About as fast as average
vs. national average (5%)
-0.6% below
Entry Requirements
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience Required
5 years or more
On-the-Job Training
None
Salary Data (BLS 2025)
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Entry) | $50,090 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,320 |
| Median (50th) | $105,770 |
| 75th Percentile | $167,280 |
| 90th Percentile (Senior) | $253,390 |
| Mean (Average) | $134,940 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is General and Operations Managers a growing field?
General and Operations Managers is projected to grow by 4.4% from 2024 to 2034, which is about as fast as average. The national average for all occupations is about 5%.
What education is needed to become a General and Operations Managers?
The typical entry-level education requirement for General and Operations Managers is: Bachelor's degree. Work experience required: 5 years or more. On-the-job training: None.
How many General and Operations Managers jobs will be available?
There are approximately 308,700 annual job openings projected for General and Operations Managers, which includes new positions due to growth plus openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
What is the median salary for a General and Operations Managers?
The median annual salary for General and Operations Managers is $105,770 ($50.85/hr), based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. Half of workers earn more and half earn less than this amount.
Similar Career Paths
Occupations in SOC major group 11 with comparable growth and entry requirements.
Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–2034. Salary data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation outlook figures are computed directly from the BLS Employment Projections program. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.