What are the main factors that influence an Operations Lead's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An Operations Lead's salary?

An Operations Lead's salary grows with experience: an Operations Lead (0-3 years)earns $64,989, an Operations Senior Supervisor (3-5 years)earns $93,106, an Operations Manager (5+ years)earns $105,676, a Senior Operations Manager (5+ years)earns $143,262, an Operations Director (5+ years)earns $198,773,

What are the highest paying states for an Operations Lead?

Operations Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Operations Lead roles are District of Columbia $69,791, California $69,526, Massachusetts $68,600. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Operations Lead roles make?

Salaries for Operations Lead level roles vary by specialization: IT Operations Lead: $146,538; Network Operations Lead: $138,283; Business Operations Lead: $107,674; Marketing Operations Lead: $105,428; Product Operations Lead: $82,083.

How do different companies affect an Operations Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Operations Lead roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Operations Lead Salary in the United States

How much does an Operations Lead make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for an Operations Lead in the United States is $63,034 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, an Operations Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $78,943
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,647 to $71,361
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,100

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Operations Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$71,361	$5,947	$1,372	$34
Average	$63,034	$5,253	$1,212	$30
25th Percentile	$53,647	$4,471	$1,032	$26

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Operations Lead Salaries

An Operations Lead's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Operations Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Operations Lead's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $64,989
Early Career (1-2 years): $93,106
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $105,676
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $143,262
Expert (over 8 years): $198,773

Levels	Salary
Operation... Level Operations Lead	$64,989
Operation... Level Operations Lead	$93,106
Operation... Level Operations Lead	$105,676
Senior Op... Level Operations Lead	$143,262
Operation... Level Operations Lead	$198,773

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Operations Lead Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Operations Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $69,791.
California: $69,526.
Massachusetts: $68,600.

District of Columbia $69,791 California $69,526 Massachusetts $68,600 Washington $68,347 New Jersey $68,322 Alaska $68,234 Connecticut $67,364 New York $67,011

Hawaii $65,883 Rhode Island $65,353 Maryland $64,994 Minnesota $64,502 Colorado $64,313 Illinois $64,250 Oregon $64,011 Delaware $63,834

New Hampshire $63,723 Virginia $63,475 Pennsylvania $62,750 Nevada $62,384 North Dakota $62,265 Michigan $62,076 Wisconsin $62,006 Vermont $61,868

Texas $61,483 Maine $61,458 Arizona $61,420 Ohio $61,376 Georgia $60,796 Indiana $60,506 Wyoming $60,449 Utah $60,361

Iowa $60,323 Kansas $60,021 Louisiana $59,932 North Carolina $59,901 Missouri $59,888 Florida $59,642 Montana $59,510 Nebraska $59,384

Kentucky $59,315 South Carolina $59,063 Tennessee $58,905 Idaho $58,842 New Mexico $58,382 Oklahoma $58,281 Alabama $57,909 South Dakota $57,285

Arkansas $56,945 West Virginia $56,762 Mississippi $56,213

Top Paying Cities for Operations Leads

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $79,504
San Francisco: $78,634
Oakland: $76,977

San Jose, CA $79,504

San Francisco, CA $78,634

Oakland, CA $76,977

New York, NY $72,576

Paramus, NJ $71,694

Queens Village, NY $71,691

Passaic, NJ $71,631

Bergenfield, NJ $71,625

Stamford, CT $71,487

Huntington, NY $71,461

Newark, NJ $70,995

Bridgeport, CT $70,862

Vallejo, CA $70,736

New Brunswick, NJ $70,711

Petaluma, CA $70,673

Middlesex, NJ $70,554

Somerset, NJ $70,509

Santa Cruz, CA $70,428

Boston, MA $70,043

Monterey, CA $69,822

Seattle, WA $69,677

Santa Rosa, CA $69,665

Los Angeles, CA $69,646

Juneau, AK $69,482

Washington, DC $69,413

Orange, CA $69,188

Santa Ana, CA $69,022

Long Beach, CA $68,959

Anaheim, CA $68,946

Anchorage, AK $68,915

Santa Maria, CA $68,726

Everett, WA $68,713

Danbury, CT $68,491

Bremerton, WA $68,404

Tacoma, WA $68,177

New Suffolk, NY $68,176

Sacramento, CA $68,158

Santa Barbara, CA $68,089

Trenton, NJ $68,020

San Diego, CA $68,020

Brockton, MA $67,950

Fairbanks, AK $67,796

Lompoc, CA $67,635

Lowell, MA $67,584

Ventura, CA $67,572

Nashua, NH $67,560

Stockton, CA $67,553

Modesto, CA $67,093

Poughkeepsie, NY $66,954

Olympia, WA $66,835

Kennewick, WA $66,835

New Haven, CT $66,809

Lawrence, MA $66,582

Hartford, CT $66,519

Riverside, CA $66,507

New Bedford, MA $66,444

Richland, WA $66,444

Bakersfield, CA $66,356

San Bernardino, CA $66,330

New Britain, CT $66,324

Atlantic City, NJ $66,324

New London, CT $66,299

Norwich, CT $66,280

Portsmouth, NH $66,267

Boulder, CO $66,134

Portland, OR $66,047

Worcester, MA $66,040

Minneapolis, MN $65,845

Philadelphia, PA $65,757

Honolulu, HI $65,549

Saint Paul, MN $65,518

Vineland, NJ $65,505

Providence, RI $65,322

Chicago, IL $65,139

Bellingham, WA $65,063

Springfield, MA $65,013

Baltimore, MD $64,994

Chico, CA $64,836

Pittsfield, MA $64,666

Manchester, NH $64,547

Spokane, WA $64,269

Denver, CO $64,263

Albany, NY $63,967

Troy, NY $63,941

Nassau, NY $63,874

Schenectady, NY $63,809

Wilmington, DE $63,759

Burlington, VT $63,670

Salem, OR $63,645

Portland, ME $63,450

Yakima, WA $63,387

Rochester, MN $63,191

Reno, NV $63,160

Fresno, CA $63,160

Milwaukee, WI $63,103

Detroit, MI $63,040

Ann Arbor, MI $63,029

Allentown, PA $63,021

Colorado Springs, CO $62,914

Syracuse, NY $62,882

Carson City, NV $62,882

Houston, TX $62,794

Eugene, OR $62,763

Gary, IN $62,687

Springfield, OR $62,637

Bismarck, ND $62,624

Galveston, TX $62,580

Medford, OR $62,485

Fort Collins, CO $62,460

Concord, NH $62,429

Austin, TX $62,410

Mesa, AZ $62,277

Reading, PA $62,271

Phoenix, AZ $62,265

Dallas, TX $62,246

Saint Cloud, MN $62,185

Madison, WI $62,101

Utica, NY $61,931

Rochester, NY $61,830

Des Moines, IA $61,823

Raleigh, NC $61,817

Atlanta, GA $61,723

Battle Creek, MI $61,704

Salt Lake City, UT $61,685

Lancaster, PA $61,590

Harrisburg, PA $61,502

Kansas City, MO $61,439

Champaign, IL $61,426

Kansas City, KS $61,426

Fort Worth, TX $61,420

Columbus, OH $61,409

Boca Raton, FL $61,395

Pittsburgh, PA $61,370

Richmond, VA $61,344

Indianapolis, IN $61,332

Cleveland, OH $61,325

Las Vegas, NV $61,250

Cincinnati, OH $61,250

Petersburg, VA $61,155

Huntsville, AL $61,061

Lansing, MI $61,019

Lebanon, PA $61,010

Pueblo, CO $61,004

Appleton, WI $60,985

Buffalo, NY $60,960

Dayton, OH $60,941

Racine, WI $60,928

Charlotte, NC $60,922

Saint Louis, MO $60,903

York, PA $60,865

Elkhart, IN $60,865

Gastonia, NC $60,853

Billings, MT $60,838

Beaumont, TX $60,821

Lorain, OH $60,809

Benton Harbor, MI $60,796

Toledo, OH $60,783

Binghamton, NY $60,752

Rock Hill, SC $60,746

Rockford, IL $60,714

Springfield, IL $60,689

Elyria, OH $60,683

Fargo, ND $60,683

Flagstaff, AZ $60,638

Fort Lauderdale, FL $60,601

Duluth, MN $60,563

Miami, FL $60,563

Cheyenne, WY $60,519

Grand Forks, ND $60,519

Bangor, ME $60,380

Cedar Rapids, IA $60,311

Durham, NC $60,284

Louisville, KY $60,279

Grand Rapids, MI $60,267

Hialeah, FL $60,260

Casper, WY $60,172

Scranton, PA $60,096

New Orleans, LA $60,077

Virginia Beach, VA $60,071

Akron, OH $60,040

Peoria, IL $59,958

Sarasota, FL $59,945

Nashville, TN $59,901

Omaha, NE $59,901

Green Bay, WI $59,901

Baton Rouge, LA $59,869

Charleston, SC $59,857

Jamestown, NY $59,825

Davenport, IA $59,825

Tucson, AZ $59,794

Saint Petersburg, FL $59,756

Tampa, FL $59,743

Evansville, IN $59,706

Port Arthur, TX $59,706

Bradenton, FL $59,680

Santa Fe, NM $59,567

Orlando, FL $59,453

Clearwater, FL $59,434

Canton, OH $59,302

La Crosse, WI $59,302

Albuquerque, NM $59,264

Newport News, VA $59,258

High Point, NC $59,239

Ogden, UT $59,214

Corpus Christi, TX $59,163

Norfolk, VA $59,126

Laramie, WY $59,126

Rock Island, IL $59,088

Saginaw, MI $59,075

Jacksonville, FL $59,069

Salisbury, NC $59,056

Boise, ID $59,044

Moline, IL $59,012

Fort Myers, FL $58,993

Memphis, TN $58,981

Tulsa, OK $58,949

Waterloo, IA $58,911

Spartanburg, SC $58,848

Lincoln, NE $58,817

Fort Wayne, IN $58,804

Provo, UT $58,798

Cedar Falls, IA $58,722

San Antonio, TX $58,697

Greensboro, NC $58,672

South Bend, IN $58,665

Savannah, GA $58,596

Muskegon, MI $58,571

Birmingham, AL $58,565

Winston Salem, NC $58,534

Lake Charles, LA $58,382

Anderson, IN $58,369

Lexington, KY $58,350

Augusta, GA $58,331

Greenville, SC $58,331

Lima, OH $58,281

Wichita, KS $58,275

Tuscaloosa, AL $58,275

Columbia, SC $58,218

Springfield, OH $58,205

Asheville, NC $58,104

Bloomington, IN $58,060

Knoxville, TN $57,833

Shreveport, LA $57,827

Wilmington, NC $57,745

Roanoke, VA $57,745

Topeka, KS $57,632

Frankfort, KY $57,625

Oklahoma City, OK $57,581

Chillicothe, OH $57,556

Longview, TX $57,550

Melbourne, FL $57,543

Sioux Falls, SD $57,443

Mobile, AL $57,436

Terre Haute, IN $57,411

Altoona, PA $57,373

Amarillo, TX $57,329

Killeen, TX $57,310

Fayetteville, AR $57,260

Chattanooga, TN $57,241

Sioux City, IA $57,184

Idaho Falls, ID $57,172

Lynchburg, VA $57,121

Gainesville, FL $57,039

Portsmouth, OH $57,008

Little Rock, AR $56,995

Lafayette, LA $56,970

Youngstown, OH $56,970

Daytona Beach, FL $56,932

Clarksville, TN $56,926

Pensacola, FL $56,919

Temple, TX $56,915

Hopkinsville, KY $56,730

Erie, PA $56,718

Florence, SC $56,693

Charleston, WV $56,592

Great Falls, MT $56,560

Macon, GA $56,472

Tallahassee, FL $56,466

Fayetteville, NC $56,453

Waco, TX $56,440

Helena, MT $56,396

Pine Bluff, AR $56,372

Vincennes, IN $56,295

Lubbock, TX $56,270

Alamogordo, NM $56,232

Twin Falls, ID $56,176

Rapid City, SD $56,157

Jackson, MS $56,043

Huntington, WV $56,039

Greenville, MS $56,037

Parkersburg, WV $55,973

Montgomery, AL $55,961

Wichita Falls, TX $55,898

Springfield, MO $55,898

Biloxi, MS $55,867

Monroe, LA $55,804

Johnstown, PA $55,760

Sumter, SC $55,734

Columbus, GA $55,728

Pascagoula, MS $55,608

Abilene, TX $55,608

Kingsport, TN $55,444

Albany, GA $55,444

Gulfport, MS $55,426

Alexandria, LA $55,218

Fort Smith, AR $55,060

El Paso, TX $54,890

Las Cruces, NM $54,606

Harlingen, TX $54,446

Pocatello, ID $54,436

Florence, AL $54,354

Brownsville, TX $54,341

Mcallen, TX $54,209

Dothan, AL $54,121

Columbus, MS $53,746

Altus, OK $53,453

Lawton, OK $53,333

Pierre, SD $53,106

What Skills Can Increase an Operations Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 9.92% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Store Operations (Mentioned in 2.11% Job Postings): Retail operations are the activities that allow online and physical stores to function. The aim of retail operations is to enhance the customer shopping experience and lower the retailer's costs.
Field Operations (Mentioned in 1.04% Job Postings): An operation conducted by employees that is outside of the employer's fixed establishment, such as mobile clinics, health screening and medical outreach services, or dispensing of medications.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	9.92%
Store Operations	2.11%
Field Operations	1.04%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Operations Lead's salary.

Help Desk: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Help Desk	$71,858	14%
Project Management	$70,598	12%
Collaboration	$68,076	8%
Onboarding	$68,076	8%
PowerPoint	$67,446	7%
Innovation	$67,446	7%

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How Education impacts an Operations Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Operations Leads enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Operations Lead with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $66,612 and $71,327).

Operations Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Operations Lead

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 29.4%

Associates 15.9%

Bachelors 43.8%

Masters 9.9%

Doctorate 0.2%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.8%
High School	29.4%
Associates	15.9%
Bachelors	43.8%
Masters	9.9%
Doctorate	0.2%

view as graph

Operations Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Operations Lead's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$53,647

Average $63,034/year

$71,361

$4,471

Average $5,253/month

$5,947

$1,032

Average $1,212/week

$1,372

$26

Average $30/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$71,361	$5,947	$1,372	$34
Average	$63,034	$5,253	$1,212	$30
25th Percentile	$53,647	$4,471	$1,032	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Operations Lead

Salary Trends for Operations Lead

Salaries for an Operations Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $80,706 in 2023 to around $79,814 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Operations Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Operations Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$80,706

2024

$80,354

2025

$79,814

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$80,706
2024	$80,354
2025	$79,814
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Operations Lead

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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