Career Explorer Management
Grows with AI
General and operations managers
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.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 60% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.0% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence and ethical judgement.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $105,770
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.0%
- Openings a year
- 285,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 3.6 million
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Implement procedures or processes
- Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- Analyze business or financial data
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures
- Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes
- Analyze data to improve operations
What the work looks like
- 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.
- Manage the movement of goods into and out of production facilities to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, or sustainability of operations.
- Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
- Set prices or credit terms for goods or services, based on forecasts of customer demand.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Social and community service managersGrows with AI, Index 63, +7.2%
- Entertainment and recreation managers, except gamblingGrows with AI, Index 68, +6.0%
- Human resources managersGrows with AI, Index 68, +5.5%
- Computer and information systems managersGrows with AI, Index 61, +15.8%
Also known as: General Manager (GM), Operations Director, Operations Manager, Store Manager, Business Manager, Center Manager, Department Manager, District Manager.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.