Operations Manager.
Raleigh.
$89,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$68,000 to $116,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
An Operations Manager in Raleigh earns a median of $89,000 in 2026. That is 3% below the national average. The range runs from $68,000 to $116,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Industry, scope of operations (regional vs. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Operations Manager in Raleigh, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $114,940 for General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 9,520 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$56,020
25th percentile
$77,590
Median
$114,940
75th percentile
$176,080
90th percentile
$268,030
Workers surveyed
9,520
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021) rather than Operations Manager specifically. The Raleigh range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 11-1021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $80,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$58,000
to $71,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$76,000
to $93,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$98,000
to $116,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$111,000
to $138,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $26,000 to the total package.
Base
$89,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $115,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$89,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$92,000
Raleigh is $3,000 below
Operations Manager salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
The Operations Manager landscape in Raleigh is not what most salary sites will tell you. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Industry, scope of operations (regional vs. national), and P&L responsibility are the largest factors. Operations managers in technology, logistics, and healthcare earn more than those in retail or hospitality. Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or large scale process automation directly correlates with higher compensation.
Operations coordinators start at $45,000 to $60,000, advancing to operations manager at $80,000 to $110,000 in three to five years. Senior operations managers earn $110,000 to $145,000. Directors of Operations reach $145,000 to $200,000, and VP/COO roles at mid to large companies can exceed $250,000. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses of 10 to 20% tied to efficiency metrics, cost savings, or throughput targets are standard. Profit sharing arrangements are common in manufacturing and logistics. Equity is available at tech companies. Benefits often include vehicle allowances and relocation packages for multi site responsibilities. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $89,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Operations Managers in Raleigh runs from $68,000 to $116,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Financial Advisor in Raleigh earns $87,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is CTO at $291,000
Common questions.
Operations Manager salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Raleigh.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Operations Manager Salary in Raleigh, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/operations-manager/raleigh
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