Operations Manager Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Operations managers in Los Angeles keep food distribution centers, bottling plants and hospital departments running, and local postings for the role commonly run from about $95,000 to $190,000 a year. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how people move up.
Current operations manager Openings in Los Angeles, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Operations Manager Work in Los Angeles
A large share of operations management work in Los Angeles sits in the freight belt that runs from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro up the Alameda Corridor, the roughly 20-mile rail route through Carson, Compton, South Gate and Vernon to downtown. Food and beverage distributors cluster east of downtown and in the San Gabriel Valley, where the City of Industry counts more than 80,000 jobs on land that is 92 percent industrial. Sysco runs its Los Angeles operation out of Walnut, and Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling staffs warehouse and transportation leadership at its Downey site.
The other big pool is the hospital and university sector. UCLA, UCLA Health and Cedars-Sinai all post operations roles that run departments rather than docks, from patient transport at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood to central pharmacy in Beverly Hills. What sets the job apart here is California law: warehouse managers answer to Cal/OSHA forklift training rules and the state's AB 701 warehouse quota law, and larger employers must post a pay range on every opening under the state's pay transparency law.
Top Los Angeles Employers Hiring Operations Managers
These Los Angeles area employers have operations leadership roles posted on their own career sites:
- Sysco - the foodservice distributor's Los Angeles operation in Walnut posts an Operations Director over warehouse, fleet and facilities, plus night-shift outbound warehouse supervisors.
- Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling - the bottler hires a warehouse manager, a transportation supervisor and an inventory control supervisor in Downey.
- UCLA Health - the health system posts operations managers such as a Patient Transport Logistics Manager at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
- UCLA - the Westwood campus hires operations leadership, including a Director of Operations in the Chancellor's Office.
- Cedars-Sinai - the medical center posts department operations managers, including a Pharmacy Operations Manager for its central pharmacy in Beverly Hills.
Operations Manager Salaries in Los Angeles
- Entry level (operations or warehouse supervisor): about $74,000 to $114,000 a year.
- Experienced operations manager: roughly $95,000 to $190,000 a year.
- Senior (director of operations): about $123,000 to $240,000 a year.
These are estimates built from pay ranges posted by Los Angeles employers in 2026 and federal wage data, which puts the metro median for general and operations managers near $126,000, above the California median of about $124,000. Pay moves with the size of the operation, night or weekend coverage, union environment and industry. Hospital and university roles post the widest ranges, distribution centers add bonus and fleet responsibility, and a role that requires a professional license, such as a pharmacist running a pharmacy, sits at the top.
How to Become an Operations Manager in Los Angeles
California does not license operations managers, so the gate is experience. Most people get there by running a shift as a lead or supervisor, and many postings ask for a bachelor's degree or equal experience. Local options include the B.S. in Business Administration at Cal State LA, the Global Logistics Certificate through CSU Dominguez Hills extended education in Carson, the Global Logistics Professional program at CSU Long Beach, and the Full-Time MBA at UCLA Anderson in Westwood. In a warehouse, you are also responsible for meeting Cal/OSHA forklift training and evaluation rules and the written quota notices AB 701 requires.
What the Job Involves
Operations managers plan staffing and schedules, track daily output against targets, manage budgets and overtime, and fix whatever is slowing the work down. In a distribution center that means inbound and outbound volume, inventory accuracy, fleet and safety audits. In a hospital or campus department it means service levels, dispatch and staffing across shifts. The job also covers hiring, training, coaching and discipline, plus reporting results to senior leadership.
Skills Employers Look For
- Experience supervising hourly teams across multiple shifts
- Budgeting, labor planning and KPI reporting
- Warehouse management, ERP or dispatch systems
- Safety program and regulatory compliance experience
- Lean or continuous improvement methods
- Clear communication with frontline staff and executives
- Bilingual Spanish, valued on many Los Angeles floors
Career Path and Advancement
In Los Angeles the ladder usually starts on the floor as a warehouse associate or lead, then runs to shift supervisor, operations or warehouse manager, and site or regional operations director. Sysco describes its Los Angeles Operations Director role as preparation for vice president. In health care and higher education the path runs from department supervisor to operations manager and director of operations, and an MBA or a logistics certificate helps when moving from a single site to a regional role.
Related Careers in Los Angeles
If operations management interests you, these Los Angeles roles are on the same ladder:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be an operations manager in Los Angeles?
No. California has no license for operations managers. Employers look for supervisory experience and often a bachelor's degree, and a few specialized roles, such as running a hospital pharmacy, require the professional license of that field.
How much do operations managers make in Los Angeles?
Posted ranges in 2026 put supervisors at about $74,000 to $114,000, operations managers at roughly $95,000 to $190,000, and directors of operations at about $123,000 to $240,000. Federal data puts the metro median for general and operations managers near $126,000.
Where are most operations manager jobs in Los Angeles?
Distribution and logistics jobs concentrate along the Alameda Corridor, in Vernon and Commerce, and in the San Gabriel Valley around the City of Industry and Walnut. Hospital and university operations roles cluster in Westwood, Beverly Hills and the other medical centers across the city.
What hours do warehouse operations managers work?
Distribution centers run around the clock, so many supervisor and manager roles cover nights, weekends and holidays. Sysco's Los Angeles outbound warehouse supervisor role, for example, is a night shift role.
Can you become an operations manager without a degree?
Yes, many do. Postings often accept equal experience, and the common route is from associate to lead to supervisor. A certificate such as the CSU Dominguez Hills Global Logistics Certificate can strengthen an application while you work.
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