Operations Manager.
Baltimore.
$100,000
median salary, 9% above the national average
$76,000 to $131,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Operations Manager offer in Baltimore, MD, here is the reality: $76,000 to $131,000, with $100,000 as the midpoint. 9% above the national average. Industry, scope of operations (regional vs. Do not accept the first number. 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 Baltimore, 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 $117,040 for General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021) in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area, based on 44,960 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$58,350
25th percentile
$78,670
Median
$117,040
75th percentile
$169,780
90th percentile
$232,180
Workers surveyed
44,960
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 Baltimorerange 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 $90,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$65,000
to $80,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$85,000
to $105,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$110,000
to $130,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$125,000
to $155,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$100,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $130,000
How Baltimore compares.
Baltimore, MD
$100,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$92,000
Baltimore is $8,000 above
Operations Manager salary by city.
Salary by role in Baltimore.
What you should know.
Here is what the Operations Manager market actually looks like in Baltimore. Baltimore's economy is anchored by Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, one of the largest employers in the state. The city has strong cybersecurity, defense, and biotech sectors, benefiting from proximity to NSA, Fort Meade, and NIH. The port of Baltimore also drives significant logistics and trade employment. 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 Baltimore, 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: maryland's top income tax rate is 5.75%, and Baltimore City adds a local income tax of 3.2%. The combined burden is among the higher ones, but federal and defense salaries compensate. When someone quotes you $100,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: A security clearance is extremely valuable in the Baltimore corridor. Cleared professionals earn 20 to 30% more, and the NSA and defense contractor presence drives constant demand. The range for Operations Managers in Baltimore runs from $76,000 to $131,000. 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 Registered Nurse in Baltimore earns $102,000 (2% more)
- The highest-paying role in Baltimore is CTO at $324,000
Common questions.
Operations Manager salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Baltimore.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Operations Managers in Baltimore.
Related tools.
Do you work as an operations manager in Baltimore?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools