Median pay for operations managers runs from $54,140 in Mayaguez to $181,450 in Trenton-Princeton — a 3.35× range across 527 metropolitan areas. The national median of $105,770 sits inside that range but describes no particular market.
The top tenth of operations managers earn $253,390 or more; the bottom tenth earn under $50,090. That is a 5.06× gap within the same occupation, in the same year. A spread this wide means the job title is not what determines pay — specialisation, employer type, seniority or book of business is. Expect the early years to sit near the bottom of the band rather than the middle, and treat the $105,770 median as a waypoint, not a destination.
Trenton-Princeton (NJ) leads and Mayaguez (PR) trails, but the gap is modest. For a role like this the more useful comparison is not between cities but between the 10th and 90th percentile within one — see the band above.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton NJ | $181,450 | $87.23 | 0.57 | 3,100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | $163,860 | $78.78 | 0.67 | 17,230 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $157,000 | $75.48 | 0.83 | 177,850 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $156,460 | $75.22 | 1.59 | 112,530 |
| Boulder CO | $152,100 | $73.13 | 0.63 | 2,750 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $149,990 | $72.11 | 0.81 | 43,520 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford CT | $148,080 | $71.19 | 0.99 | 13,370 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | $146,030 | $70.21 | 0.62 | 29,370 |
| Sioux Falls SD-MN | $142,730 | $68.62 | 0.43 | 1,730 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial CO | $142,330 | $68.43 | 0.63 | 22,940 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard WA | $137,980 | $66.34 | 0.65 | 1,370 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury CT | $137,230 | $65.98 | 1.22 | 11,140 |
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $136,720 | $65.73 | 0.4 | 1,210 |
| Huntsville AL | $136,340 | $65.55 | 0.67 | 4,050 |
| New Haven CT | $134,450 | $64.64 | 0.91 | 5,750 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $133,800 | $64.33 | 1.16 | 70,950 |
| Midland TX | $132,420 | $63.66 | 1.75 | 4,830 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton NJ | $131,810 | $63.37 | 0.42 | 1,590 |
| Waterbury-Shelton CT | $130,900 | $62.93 | 0.93 | 3,370 |
| Kennewick-Richland WA | $130,460 | $62.72 | 0.53 | 1,550 |
| Rapid City SD | $130,410 | $62.70 | 0.42 | 700 |
| Vineland NJ | $130,180 | $62.59 | 0.39 | 550 |
| Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $129,410 | $62.22 | 0.48 | 1,060 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic CT | $126,870 | $60.99 | 0.75 | 2,140 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes WA | $126,680 | $60.90 | 0.6 | 710 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayaguez PR | $54,140 | $26.03 | 0.28 | 330 |
| Arecibo PR | $60,110 | $28.90 | 0.26 | 210 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $61,300 | $29.47 | 1.76 | 3,160 |
| North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $62,480 | $30.04 | 1.11 | 2,970 |
| Hot Springs AR | $62,810 | $30.20 | 1.24 | 1,080 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $63,720 | $30.63 | 0.98 | 1,900 |
| Ponce PR | $64,000 | $30.77 | 0.26 | 370 |
| Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $64,670 | $31.09 | 1.55 | 5,740 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $64,860 | $31.18 | 1.03 | 2,140 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $65,000 | $31.25 | 1.57 | 5,490 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Valley-Prescott AZ | $78,400 | $37.69 | 1.77 | 2,890 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $61,300 | $29.47 | 1.76 | 3,160 |
| Midland TX | $132,420 | $63.66 | 1.75 | 4,830 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman AZ | $74,050 | $35.60 | 1.7 | 2,170 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $156,460 | $75.22 | 1.59 | 112,530 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $65,000 | $31.25 | 1.57 | 5,490 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $67,430 | $32.42 | 1.57 | 3,760 |
| Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $64,670 | $31.09 | 1.55 | 5,740 |
| St. Louis MO-IL | $93,140 | $44.78 | 1.54 | 46,410 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ | $98,610 | $47.41 | 1.52 | 81,520 |
| Barnstable Town MA | $100,590 | $48.36 | 1.52 | 3,210 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $90,280 | $43.40 | 1.52 | 6,470 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $157,000 | $75.48 | 0.83 | 177,850 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX | $111,010 | $53.37 | 1.37 | 125,090 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN | $109,390 | $52.59 | 1.21 | 122,930 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $156,460 | $75.22 | 1.59 | 112,530 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $125,830 | $60.50 | 0.74 | 104,610 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX | $119,600 | $57.50 | 1.31 | 97,320 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ | $98,610 | $47.41 | 1.52 | 81,520 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL | $105,640 | $50.79 | 1.18 | 74,960 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $133,800 | $64.33 | 1.16 | 70,950 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA | $111,410 | $53.56 | 1.06 | 69,320 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD | $121,630 | $58.48 | 1.05 | 68,730 |
| St. Louis MO-IL | $93,140 | $44.78 | 1.54 | 46,410 |
Figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme, May 2025 release, SOC code 11-1021. OEWS surveys employers, so it reports what is actually paid rather than what job advertisements claim, and it excludes the self-employed. Estimates cover 527 of 528 metropolitan areas — near-complete coverage, which means the ranges above are reliable rather than drawn from a handful of markets. Read the methodology.