Operations Salary and Job Market in the US 2026

You are comparing operations roles and the pay bands are all over the place, or hidden entirely. That is normal in this field, and the numbers below will show you exactly how normal.

What the market looks like right now#

As of 14 October 2026, the JobRise live jobs feed shows 2,699 open operations listings in the United States on our operations jobs board. Of those, 1,721 were posted in the last 30 days, and 1,174 in the last 7 days alone. Hiring is active, not stalled.

For wider context, the same feed shows 13,720 open listings across all categories in the United States, and the JobRise Hiring Report for the United States records 8,471 postings in the last 30 days. So operations makes up a real slice of total hiring, not a niche corner.

One caveat before you read anything else. These are counts of open listings on one feed, dated 14 October 2026. They are not a market survey and they are not a forecast.

Who is actually hiring#

The companies with the most open operations listings are not always who you would guess. A snapshot of the feed:

• Rebel Convenience Stores, 317 listings
• LV Petroleum, 252
• Isuzu Veterans Apprenticeship Program (IVAP), 86
• ICBD, 53
• Anthropic, 49
• Consigli Construction, 34
• Stranger Soccer, 24
• The AmeriLux Family of Companies, 22
• Fooda, 21
• Red Bull, 21

Read that list carefully. Several of these are recruiters or staffing firms, not direct employers, so a posting from them may be for a client you never see named. Ask who the end employer is before you invest hours in an application.

The mix of industries is wide: convenience retail, fuel distribution, automotive apprenticeships, AI, construction, sports, food service, and consumer goods. That breadth is good news if you are relocating or changing sectors.

Where the jobs are#

Top cities by open listings in this slice: New York (141), San Francisco (100), Chicago (45), San Diego (41), and Denver (38). These are the densest clusters, but operations work exists well outside them.

Job type matters for your benefits math. Full-time accounts for 2,313 listings, part-time for 357, and contract for 28. If you need health insurance or a visa sponsorship path, filter hard for full-time before you spend time applying.

What the roles actually are#

"Operations" is a big bucket. Open listings in this slice include "Senior Electrical Technician" at New Flyer, "Electrical Engineer" at Panelmatic, "Project Manager" at PM2CM, "Facilities HVAC/R Technician" at Inns of Aurora, and "Maintenance Technician" at Waypoint Maine.

You will also see desk-based and supply chain work: "Supply Chain Coordinator" at Blue Nile, "VDC & BIM Manager" at Rockford, and "Assembly Operator - 1st Shift" at Bosch Group. Read each posting for the actual duties, because titles overlap a lot across employers.

What listings pay, and why most stay quiet#

Here is the blunt part. Only 21 of the 2,699 listings show pay at all. That is under one percent. Most employers in this slice keep numbers out of the posting, which is why you have to ask.

The listings that do show pay, quoted as posted on 14 October 2026:

• "Product Manager | Procurement" at Ramp: $230K, $325K • Offers Equity
• "Strategy Lead" at Patreon: $204K, $306K • Offers Equity
• "Senior Analyst, Global Mobility & Immigration" at Ramp: $79K, $154K • Offers Equity • Multiple Ranges
• "Talent Operations Specialist, Emerging Talent" at Ramp: $88K, $121K • Offers Equity
• "Executive Assistant to the CEO" at Patreon: $129.5K, $175K
• "Product Operations Specialist | Procurement" at Ramp: $128K, $180K • Offers Equity

Note the pattern. The posted pay is clustered in tech and senior corporate roles, not in the technician, maintenance, and retail operations roles that make up most of this slice. If you are applying to those, expect no number in the posting and plan to ask early.

Typical reported ranges by seniority#

These are typical reported ranges for US operations roles, gathered from general market reports. They vary by city, industry, company size, and your own background. Treat them as a rough frame, and verify against current official sources before you rely on any figure.

• Coordinator or specialist, entry to mid: roughly $55K to $85K base
• Operations manager or site manager: roughly $85K to $130K base
• Senior manager or multi-site lead: roughly $120K to $180K base
• Director of operations: roughly $150K to $220K base
• VP of operations: often $200K and up, with total pay much higher at large firms

Big metros like New York and San Francisco sit at the top of these bands. Denver and mid-size cities usually land lower. Always confirm with the current official source for your role and location.

Local pay norms in the US#

Base salary is the headline number, but the full package is where the real gap shows up. In the US, expect some mix of the following.

Annual bonus is common at manager level and above, often 10 to 20 percent of base at larger employers, sometimes zero at smaller ones. Equity or stock appears at tech and public companies; note that two of the posted salaries above say "Offers Equity." Ask what type, what vesting schedule, and what the last round valuation was.

A 13th month salary is not standard US practice. If you see it mentioned, it is usually a discretionary bonus dressed up. Superannuation is not a US term; the local equivalent is a 401(k) or similar retirement plan, and the employer match varies widely. CTC, or cost to company, is used in some postings but is not the standard US framing. Ask for base, bonus target, and equity value separately.

Health insurance, paid time off, and 401(k) match are worth real money. Price them out before you compare two offers on base alone.

How to negotiate an offer#

Start before the offer. When a recruiter asks your range, give a number based on the posted pay you can point to and the ranges above, then ask what the band is for the role. Do not name your current salary.

When the offer lands, do not answer for 48 hours. Ask for the full breakdown in writing: base, bonus target, equity type and vesting, 401(k) match, PTO, and start date. Then counter once, with a specific number and a reason.

A worked example. Say the posting shows no pay and the offer is $95,000 base for an operations manager role. Your script: "Thank you, I am excited about this. Based on the scope here, including the multi-site travel and the direct reports, and on comparable roles in the market, I was expecting closer to $110,000 base. Is there flexibility on base, or on the bonus target?" Then stop talking and wait.

If they cannot move on base, ask for a signing bonus, an earlier review, more PTO, or a guaranteed first-year bonus. Get every change in writing before you accept. For more scripts and tactics, use our salary negotiation tool.

What to do this week#

• Pull up the live listings and filter to full-time in your city
• Note which postings show pay and which stay silent
• Write down your walk-away number before any call
• Ask every recruiter for the end employer if a staffing firm is involved
• Get the full compensation breakdown in writing before you accept
• Verify current pay bands for your exact role and city from an official source

Free tools#

• Operations jobs in United States
• JobRise Hiring Report: the US
• free salary negotiation guide

FAQ#

How current are these operations job numbers?

They are a dated snapshot from the JobRise live jobs feed, taken 14 October 2026. Counts of open listings shift daily as postings are filled or removed.

Why do so few operations listings show salary?

Most employers in this slice keep pay out of the posting. Only 21 of 2,699 listings showed a number, so you should ask for the range early in the process.

Are the posted salaries above typical for operations roles?

No. The posted pay comes from senior tech and corporate roles at Ramp and Patreon, which sit at the high end. Most technician, retail, and site roles in this slice pay far less.

What counts as "operations" in these listings?

It is a wide bucket covering maintenance, facilities, supply chain, project management, and assembly work. Read each posting for the actual duties rather than trusting the title.

Should I apply through a staffing firm or recruiter?

You can, but ask who the end employer is and what the contract terms are. Several of the top hiring names in this snapshot are recruiters or staffing firms rather than direct employers.