Operations & Logistics
Will AI replace operations managers?
BLS places general and operations managers in its “High” AI-exposure category (of four, relative to other occupations). BLS projects employment to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 285,000 openings a year. OEWS May 2025 median pay is $105,770 (10th–90th percentile $50,090–$253,390). Typical entry education: bachelor's degree.
Sources: BLS AI exposure categories and Employment Projections 2025–35 (released 27 August 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025; tasks from O*NET 31.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Figures are for the BLS occupation General and operations managers (SOC 11-1021).
Operations managers run the day-to-day of a business or unit: processes, people, budgets and vendors.
The figures, with their sources
| AI-exposure category | High (of Low, Moderate, High, Very high)BLS AI exposure categories, 2025–35 |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 → 2035 | 3,599,000 → 3,780,300BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
| Projected change, 2025–35 | +5.0%BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
| Openings per year (2025–35 average) | 285,000BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
| Median annual pay | $105,770BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th–90th percentile pay | $50,090 – $253,390BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degreeBLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
National figures, all industries and all experience levels. Employment and openings are published by BLS in thousands; pay is annual, in US dollars.
What BLS says, in its own words
“An exposure category is not a forecast of employment growth or decline.” “Exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability, or wage effects.”
Our count from the BLS table: 165 of the 206 occupations in the “High” category are projected to grow from 2025 to 2035. That is our arithmetic on BLS data, not a BLS statement.
What the work is: O*NET® tasks
The occupation’s core tasks, most important first, as O*NET 31.0 words them.
- 1.Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
- 2.Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.Accountability
- 3.Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.Accountability
- 4.Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
- 5.Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.Accountability
- 6.Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.Accountability
- 7.Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.Judgment · Relationships
- 8.Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.Accountability
How we tag: a task is tagged Judgment, Accountability or Relationships when O*NET’s wording uses one of these verbs. Judgment: evaluate, assess, determine, decide, interpret, diagnose, recommend, investigate, approve, prioritize, resolve. Accountability: direct, supervise, manage, oversee, ensure, plan, establish, authorize, comply. Relationships: confer, consult, negotiate, advise, collaborate, liaise, mentor, train, counsel, persuade, interview, present, meet with. This is our reading of the task text, not an O*NET or BLS classification, and it is not a measure of AI exposure.
For new graduates
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Openings per year
- 285,000
- All levels, not entry-level only
The tasks to show proof for: 6 of 8 are about judgment, accountability or relationships
We point you at these because our method treats them as the work that is hardest to hand to AI. That is our judgment, not a BLS or O*NET finding. A capstone, an internship or a part-time job where you made the call, owned the outcome or worked with the people involved is proof. Write what you did, not what you were assigned.
Show the 6 tasks
- Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
- Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
- Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
- Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
What this data does not tell you
- How many openings are entry-level, or how many go to new graduates. BLS counts openings at every level.
- How AI will change hiring for junior roles in this occupation. The exposure category is about the occupation’s tasks, and BLS says it is not a forecast.
- Pay or openings in your city or industry. These are national figures.
- Whether your own tasks match these. O*NET describes the occupation, not your job.
BLS also publishes the work experience and on-the-job training usually needed; see the BLS projections table.
Proof worth finding for a Operations Manager application
Our editorial starting list, not a survey of postings. The posting you apply to decides what counts.
- Process improvement with measurable efficiency, cost, or throughput outcomes
- Cross-functional team leadership and senior stakeholder management
- Vendor and contract management with performance accountability
- Operations technology proficiency relevant to target industry (ERP, WMS, or equivalent)
- Budget oversight and resource allocation across teams or functions
Show your proof for one real posting
- Step 1Job Match · 5 tokensPaste a real posting. For each requirement, we quote the line in your resume that proves it, or say nothing was found.
- Step 2Resume · 15 tokensRewrite toward that posting from your own words. Any number we could not find in them is listed for you to check.
- Step 3Know your tasks · FreeYour own tasks against the general and operations managers data above, labeled task by task.
Related role guides
- Executive AssistantExecutive assistants manage an executive’s time, communications and priorities, and run projects on their behalf.
- Supply Chain ManagerSupply chain managers plan how goods are sourced, stored and moved, and manage the suppliers and teams involved.
- Customer Support SpecialistCustomer support specialists answer customer questions, resolve problems and escalate what they cannot fix.
Questions people ask
Will AI replace operations managers?
The data does not say so. BLS places general and operations managers in its “High” relative AI-exposure category and states that “An exposure category is not a forecast of employment growth or decline.” BLS projects employment to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35). By our count from the BLS table, 165 of the 206 occupations in the “High” category are projected to grow.
How many operations managers jobs open each year?
BLS projects about 285,000 openings a year for general and operations managers, averaged over 2025–35. BLS defines openings as net employment change plus workers permanently leaving the occupation, so a declining occupation can still have openings. Employment was 3,599,000 in 2025.
How much do operations managers earn?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) puts the national median annual wage for general and operations managers at $105,770. The 10th percentile is $50,090, the 25th $72,320, the 75th $167,280 and the 90th $253,390. These are all industries and all experience levels in the United States; pay in your city and at your level will differ.
What education do operations managers need?
BLS lists “Bachelor's degree” as the typical education needed to enter general and operations managers. It is the typical path, not a rule: postings set their own requirements.
How does AISkillScore check a Operations Manager application?
We count, we do not guess. Job Match reads the posting’s requirements and, for each one, quotes the line in your resume that proves it, or says nothing was found. The resume rewrite keeps your claims and lists any number it could not find in your own words so you can check it before you send.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Artificial Intelligence (AI) exposure categories; Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics; Employment Projections definitions; Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: General and operations managers. BLS data is in the public domain.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0 · General and operations managers on O*NET OnLine. Changes: we show up to eight of the occupation’s core tasks, most important first, merged across the O*NET codes BLS groups into one occupation, and we add our own task tags.
Check your proof against a real Operations Manager posting
Job Match shows which of the posting’s requirements your resume proves, quote by quote. 30 free tokens when you sign up.
Run Job MatchOr, free and without an account: check which Operations Manager tasks still need you.