Associate Director, Customer Operations Salary in the United States

How much does an Associate Director, Customer Operations make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Associate Director, Customer Operations in the United States is $185,484 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $89.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $220,197
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $167,395 to $203,654
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $150,926

Key Factors That Influence Associate Director, Customer Operations Salaries

An Associate Director, Customer Operations'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 Associate Director, Customer Operations Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Associate Director, Customer Operations'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): $77,661
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $102,467
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $140,562
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $184,148
  • Expert (over 8 years): $253,826
Levels Salary
Customer ... Level Associate Director, Customer Operations$77,661
Customer ... Level Associate Director, Customer Operations$102,467
Customer ... Level Associate Director, Customer Operations$140,562
Associate... Level Associate Director, Customer Operations$184,148
VP of Cus... Level Associate Director, Customer Operations$253,826

How Do Associate Director, Customer Operations 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 Associate Director, Customer Operations. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $205,368.
  • California: $204,589.
  • Massachusetts: $201,862.

Top Paying Cities for Associate Director, Customer Operations

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: $233,951
  • San Francisco: $231,389
  • Oakland: $226,513

What Skills Can Increase an Associate Director, Customer Operations's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 15.82% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Supply Chain (Mentioned in 1.15% Job Postings): A supply chain encompasses everything from the delivery of source materials from the supplier to the manufacturer through to its eventual delivery to the end user.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.01% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 15.82%
Supply Chain 1.15%
Continuous Improvement 1.01%

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 Associate Director, Customer Operations's salary.

  • Patient Care: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
  • Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Digital Marketing: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Patient Care $224,436
21%
Risk Management $202,178
9%
Digital Marketing $200,323
8%

Associate Director, Customer Operations Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Associate Director, Customer Operations roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 101% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Associate Director, Customer Operations positions in Transportation or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Associate Director, Customer Operations as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Associate Director, Customer Operations

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$259,678$125.040%
Financial Services$241,129$116.030%
Biotechnology$231,855$111.025%
Pharmaceuticals$222,581$107.020%
Internet$218,871$105.018%

How Education impacts an Associate Director, Customer Operations's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Associate Director, Customer Operations enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree 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 Associate Director, Customer Operations with a Bachelor's Degree is between $168,257 and $181,174).

Associate Director, Customer Operations Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Associate Director, Customer Operations
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.9%
High School 16.3%
Associates 10.6%
Bachelors 47.2%
Masters 23.7%
Doctorate 1.2%

Associate Director, Customer Operations Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Associate Director, Customer Operations'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 September 01, 2026
$167,395
Average $185,484/year
$203,654
$13,950
Average $15,457/month
$16,971
$3,219
Average $3,567/week
$3,916
$80
Average $89/hour
$98
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $203,654 $16,971 $3,916 $98
Average $185,484 $15,457 $3,567 $89
25th Percentile $167,395 $13,950 $3,219 $80

Most common benefits for Associate Director, Customer Operations

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Associate Director, Customer Operations

Here are companies hiring for Associate Director, Customer Operations and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Associate Director, Customer Operations

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Associate Director, Customer Operations?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Associate Director, Customer Operations roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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