How Much Does a Sales Operations Director Make? (2025)
A sales operations director is responsible for developing and directing the sales data analysis function to deliver reporting and tools to sales teams and management, ensuring effective sales execution and accomplishment of growth objectives.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, some of the top industries for general and operations managers, such as sales operations directors, include professional, scientific, and technical services, manufacturing, wholesale trade, construction, and retail trade.
Read this salary guide as we thoroughly discuss sales operations director salary insights, responsibilities, and factors that affect their compensation, and how to become one.
What Does a Sales Operations Director do?
A sales operations director is responsible for overseeing, taking action, and responding to areas of improvement to increase market sales and achieve the company's growth objectives. They deploy CRM and other systems to manage customer and activity data.
The director of sales operations develops monitoring and methods to analyze sales metrics and provide insights, support decisions, and highlight areas for process improvement. They direct research efforts to understand market conditions and competitors. They enable training activities to ensure that sales teams understand and effectively use systems and reporting resources.
Here are more detailed roles and responsibilities for sales operations directors:
- They find strategies and platforms that drive sales
- They review and analyze sales performance quarterly or regularly
- They make sales reports and present them to the executives
- They give advice to stakeholders about the industry trends and their connection to sales
- They supervise sales teams and initiate training programs for new sales representatives
What is a Sales Operations Director Salary Overview?
As of October 14, 2025, the average annual salary for sales operations directors in the United States is $198,070. The range is from $161,619 to $230,490, with earnings mostly between $178,990 and $215,040.
The average monthly rate is $16,506 with a range from $13,468 to $19,208, while the average hourly rate is $95 with a range from $78 to $111.
2025 Sales Operations Director Salary: $198,070 per year ($95 per hour)
Depending on the percentile, a sales operations director salary with bonus ranges from $188,149 to $345,990, with $254,480 as the average value.
| Percentile | Salary + Bonus |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $188,149 |
| 25th Percentile | $219,760 |
| 50th Percentile | $254,480 |
| 75th Percentile | $302,380 |
| 90th Percentile | $345,990 |
The average total compensation for sales operations directors, including the core compensation and benefits, is $337,851. The median base salary for sales operations directors makes up 58.6% of the total compensation, while benefits like social security, healthcare, and time off make up 16.1%.
| Core Compensation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | % of Total | |
| Base Salary | $198,070 | 58.6% |
| Bonus | $56,410 | 16.7% |
| Value of Benefits | ||
| Social Security | $14,608 | 4.3% |
| 401K/403B | $10,500 | 3.1% |
| Disability | $5,090 | 1.5% |
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 2.5% |
| Pension | $13,500 | 4.0% |
| Time Off | $31,321 | 9.3% |
| Total Compensation | $337,851 | 100% |
What Can Affect Sales Operations Director Salaries?
Factors, like experience level, geographic location, education, company size, and skills, can affect the salary for sales operations directors. Here are the effects of these factors in terms of annual compensation.
By Experience Level
The salary of sales operations directors varies depending on the experience level. An entry-level sales operations director salary is $190,293, while an expert-level with over 8 years of experience can expect $196,039 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Sales Operations Director | $190,293 |
| Intermediate Level Sales Operations Director | $191,729 |
| Senior Level Sales Operations Director | $193,166 |
| Specialist Level Sales Operations Director | $194,602 |
| Expert Level Sales Operations Director | $196,039 |
By Geographic Location
Key factors why geographic location affects salaries in the United States are the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence. Here are the hot cities in the US for sales operations directors:
| Cities | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | $223,540 | $247,370 | $268,560 |
| Washington, District of Columbia | $198,180 | $219,300 | $238,090 |
| Miami, Florida | $171,980 | $190,300 | $206,610 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $184,970 | $204,680 | $222,220 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $199,630 | $220,900 | $239,830 |
| New York, New York | $207,440 | $229,540 | $249,210 |
| Dallas, Texas | $176,760 | $195,590 | $212,350 |
According to Salary.com data, San Francisco has the most competitive pay among the hot cities, with salaries ranging from $223,540 to $268,560, while Miami has the least, with salaries ranging from $171,980 to $206,610.
By Skills
Salaries for sales operations directors get higher with more acquired skills, especially with competencies that have higher demands.
Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that sales operations directors with skills in customer segmentation can experience the highest pay increase at 12.57%, followed by sales management at 12.19%.
Meanwhile, the most in-demand skills are forecasting at 10.70% and incentive programs at 10.60%. Some highly compensated skills also include sales planning, sales support, sales analysis, and market research.
| Skills | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Segmentation | 10.30% | +12.57% |
| Sales Management | 10.00% | +12.19% |
| Sales Planning | 10.50% | +11.90% |
| Sales Support | 10.50% | +11.79% |
| Sales Analysis | 10.40% | +11.78% |
| Incentive Programs | 10.60% | +11.27% |
By Education
In terms of education, sales operations directors mostly have a bachelor's degree at 49.2%, followed by those with master's degrees at 23.7%. Meanwhile, those with associate's degrees are 11.9%, those with high school diploma at 6.8%, and those with no diploma at 8.5%.
| Degree Level | % of Users with this Level of Education |
|---|---|
| Bachelors | 49.2% |
| Masters | 23.7% |
| Associates | 11.9% |
| No Diploma | 8.5% |
| High School Diploma | 6.8% |
How to Become a Sales Operations Director
To become a sales operations director, one needs to meet the educational, experience, and certification requirements. Here is how to do that:
Education
Companies usually require a bachelor's degree for the sales operations director role, most commonly in business administration, sales, marketing, or finance. Proceeding to complete a master's degree provides further skills and experience in planning and tracking sales, which makes for a more competitive candidate.
Experience
Gather sales experience since the role of sales operations director usually requires 5 or more years of managerial experience. Leadership experience in sales is needed and those who want to pursue the role can start as sales representatives to senior-level roles with an excellent track record on sales.
Certification
Some of the certifications that can help you stand out among other candidates for the sales operations director roles include Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP), Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP), Certified Sales Executive (CSE), and Project Management Certification (PMC). These credentials can help verify your expertise in the field of sales.
What are the FAQs about the Sales Operations Director Salary?
Here are some common questions about the sales operations director salary:
What is the average salary for an operations director?
In United States, the average salary for a sales operations director is $198,070 per year. The range is from $161,619 to $230,490, with earnings mostly between $178,990 and $215,040. The breakdown of the salary is $16,506 per month, $3,809 per week, and $95 per hour.
How much does a director of operations make in DC?
A director of operations in DC makes $219,300 per year. The range is from $178,951 to $255,197, with earnings mostly between $198,180 to $238,090. The breakdown of the salary is $18,275 per month, $4,217 per week, and $105 per hour.
What is the director of sales operations job description?
The sales operations director is responsible for developing and directing the sales data analysis function to deliver reporting and tools to sales teams and management, ensuring effective sales execution and accomplishment of growth objectives. They find strategies and platforms that drive sales, review and analyze sales performance quarterly or regularly, make sales reports and present them to the executives, give advice to stakeholders about the industry trends and their connection to sales, and supervise sales teams and initiate training programs for new sales representatives.
What is the difference between a sales operations manager and a sales operations director?
A sales operations director is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing, developing, and implementing strategies for sales that align with the company's growth objectives, establishing key performance indicators, and predicting and budgeting for sales teams. Meanwhile, a sales operations manager is an intermediate-level role responsible for the daily sales operations and management of teams, ensuring proper execution of sales strategies, supervision of sales operations specialists, and regular performance updates to executives, such as the sales operations directors.
