General and Operations Managers

What General and Operations Managers Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

0.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Administration and Managementimportance 4.3/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
• English Languageimportance 3.7/5
• Production and Processingimportance 3.6/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.4/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.2/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Frequency of Decision Making4.9/5
• E-Mail4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.8/5
• Telephone Conversations4.8/5
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.7/5

Related Careers

• Chief Executives
• Administrative Services Managers
• Industrial Production Managers
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
• Facilities Managers
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
• Project Management Specialists
• Construction Managers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers98% skill match
• Postmasters and Mail Superintendents98% skill match
• Administrative Services Managers98% skill match
• Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling98% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers97% skill match
• Producers and Directors97% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives97% skill match
• Residential Advisors97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Coordinationimportance 3.9/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.8/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.8/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.6/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.6/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.5/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Leadership Orientation
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation
• Self-Confidence
• Initiative
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalHigh
• SocialMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• RealisticLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where general and operations managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ1.77× national avg
2. 2Midland, TX1.75× national avg
3. 3Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ1.70× national avg
4. 4Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1.59× national avg
5. 5St. Louis, MO-IL1.54× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Administrative Services ManagersLateral Move
• Sales ManagersLateral Move
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersCareer Change
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersLateral Move

See the full career path from General and Operations Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.