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Operations Management

Types of Degrees Operations Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Operations Management may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	89
Associate’s Degree	203
Bachelor’s Degree	3,019
Master’s Degree	8,958
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Operations Management Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Operations Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Operations Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Operations Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Operations Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Operations Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Operations Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Operations Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Operations Management graduates include:

• Logistics Specialist
• Plant Manager
• Production Manager
• Concrete Foreman
• Plant Supervisor
• Quality Assurance Manager (QA Manager)
• Quality Assurance Supervisor (QA Supervisor)
• Quality Control Manager (QC Manager)
• Quality Control Supervisor (QC Supervisor)
• Production Superintendent
• Hydroelectric Station Chief
• Reclamation Supervisor
• Salvage Supervisor
• Loom Fixer Supervisor
• Retread Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Operations Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	12.2%
Some college courses	12.0%
Postsecondary certificate	8.6%
Master’s degree	3.4%
Less than a high school diploma	3.0%
Doctoral degree	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Operations Management?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.4% women and 52.6% men among Operations Management graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5,818	47.4%
Men	6,455	52.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Operations Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,287	26.8%
Asian	310	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	5,420	44.2%
Black or African American	1,425	11.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	35	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.1%
Two or More Races	232	1.9%
Race Unknown	357	2.9%
International Students	1,193	9.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Operations Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Operations Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,537
4 years	$63,883
5 years	$71,749

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $71,749 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Operations Management Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Operations Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	12	4
Bachelor’s	33	27
Master’s	13	3
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Operations Management Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Operations Management graduates earn a median of $63,883 four years after completion — roughly 68% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations	402,942
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Accounting	58,956
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Organizational Leadership	15,674
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other	12,497
Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management	10,865
Project Management	4,784
Accounting and Finance	3,502
Office Management and Supervision	3,126
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management	2,454
Retail Management	1,434

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.