Career
General and operations managers
Keep a business running: people, budgets, operations and priorities.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
- 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.
- Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
- Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on persuasion & leadership, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“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.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $105,770 a year and 285,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Business AdministrationSee the degree →
- FinanceSee the degree →
- Business (General)See the degree →
- Business AnalyticsSee the degree →
- International BusinessSee the degree →
- Veterinary Office Management/AdministrationCIP 01.8202
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Chief Executives$213,990 · +3.2%
- Administrative Services Managers$114,130 · +5.2%
- Industrial Production Managers$126,060 · +2.6%
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers$87,520 · +0.5%
- Facilities Managers$106,660 · +4.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.