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Operations Manager

Operations Manager profiles score highest on Influencing and Persevering. This page covers what the work involves, what the trait profile looks like, what it pays, and where the fit tends to break.

Median pay
$105,770per year, U.S. BLS 2025
Entry education
Bachelor's degreetypical for the occupation
Outlook
BrightO*NET Bright Outlook occupation

SOURCE · O*NET 11-1021.00 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are national and vary widely by state and setting.

What the work involves

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

Skills rated most important

Active Listening75
Monitoring75
Reading Comprehension75
Speaking75
Coordination72

Work context

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams97
Contact With Others91
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled85
Spend Time Sitting52
Spend Time Standing48
Spend Time Walking or Running38
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled28
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body24
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling20
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles8
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance4

O*NET importance and frequency ratings, 0–100.

The trait profile

Where Operations Manager profiles sit on the eleven Haliscope traits, derived from O*NET’s published interest and work-style data.

Influencing98
Persevering72
Organizing71
Harmonizing57
Law-Abiding57
Safety-Seeking57
Exploring50
Helping40
Analyzing24
Operating21
Creating7

Who it fits, and who it doesn’t

Strong signals

  • High Influencing. Measures your drive to lead, persuade, and shape outcomes. High scorers are confident communicators who naturally take charge and direct others.
  • High Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
  • High Law-Abiding. Measures your commitment to ethics, rules, and fairness. High scorers value honesty, follow procedures, and prefer environments with clear moral guidelines.
  • High Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.
  • Low Harmonizing. Measures your focus on group cohesion and interpersonal peace. High scorers build consensus, facilitate cooperation, and prioritize team harmony.

Friction points

  • Low Influencing. Measures your drive to lead, persuade, and shape outcomes. High scorers are confident communicators who naturally take charge and direct others.
  • Low Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
  • Low Law-Abiding. Measures your commitment to ethics, rules, and fairness. High scorers value honesty, follow procedures, and prefer environments with clear moral guidelines.

These are what the occupation’s profile says, not a hiring criterion. Haliscope is not validated for hiring or screening, and none of these is disqualifying — they are where a fit most often breaks.

Getting in

Entry education: Bachelor's degree.

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

O*NET Job Zone descriptions, U.S. Department of Labor.

Exposure to AI

How much of this work AI can already do, and how much AI tools help the people doing it, is scored task by task in the AI Risk Index.

Will AI replace Operations Manager?

Is this profile yours?

Take the assessment and see your eleven scores against this occupation and every other one Haliscope scores. A preview of your results is free; the full report is $10.00.

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