Operations Manager.
Wilmington.
$94,000
median salary, 2% above the national average
$71,000 to $122,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Wilmington is 2% more expensive than the national average. For Operations Managers, that shakes out to a median of $94,000, with the full range spanning $71,000 to $122,000. Industry, scope of operations (regional vs. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Wilmington, 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 $121,630 for General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 68,730 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$57,210
25th percentile
$79,740
Median
$121,630
75th percentile
$176,820
90th percentile
$284,880
Workers surveyed
68,730
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 Wilmingtonrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such. Wilmington is reported by BLS within the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area.
View the BLS source for SOC 11-1021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $85,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$61,000
to $75,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$80,000
to $99,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$103,000
to $122,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$118,000
to $146,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $28,000 to the total package.
Base
$94,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$10,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $122,000
How Wilmington compares.
Wilmington, DE
$94,000
Cost of living: 2% above average
National Average
$92,000
Wilmington is $2,000 above
Operations Manager salary by city.
Salary by role in Wilmington.
What you should know.
The Operations Manager landscape in Wilmington is not what most salary sites will tell you. Wilmington is a corporate law and financial services hub, home to most U.S. credit card companies thanks to Delaware's favorable incorporation laws. The city's compact size belies its outsized role in banking, legal services, and corporate governance. Chemical and pharmaceutical companies also maintain a strong presence. 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 Wilmington, 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: delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6% but no state sales tax. Wilmington has a city wage tax of 1.25%. The no sales tax benefit partially offsets the income tax burden. When someone quotes you $94,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage Delaware's corporate density. Banks and legal firms here pay competitively to retain talent that might otherwise commute to Philadelphia or New York. The range for Operations Managers in Wilmington runs from $71,000 to $122,000. 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
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Common questions.
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