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Other Business Operations Support

Types of Degrees Other Business Operations Support Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Business Operations Support have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	35
Associate’s Degree	137
Master’s Degree	140

What Other Business Operations Support Majors Need to Know

Studies in Other Business Operations Support develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Business Operations Support graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Other Business Operations Support emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Other Business Operations Support program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Business Operations Support careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Business Operations Support graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Business Operations Support professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Business Operations Support graduates include:

• Personnel Security Specialist
• Industrial Security Specialist
• Security Operations Analyst (Security Ops Analyst)
• Physical Security Specialist
• Security Systems Specialist
• Security Management Consultant
• Cloud Security Consultant
• Security Operations Specialist (Security Ops Specialist)
• Security Operations Staff Specialist (Security Ops Staff Specialist)
• Cyber Risk Consultant
• Security Specialist
• Cybersecurity Consultant
• Cybersecurity Associate
• Security Administrator (Security Admin)
• Security Compliance Analyst

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Business Operations Support graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.4%
Master’s degree	14.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	9.1%
Some college courses	8.2%
Postsecondary certificate	7.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	6.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Business Operations Support?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.8% of Other Business Operations Support degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	301	81.8%
Men	67	18.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Business Operations Support graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	234	63.6%
Asian	6	1.6%
Hispanic or Latino	17	4.6%
Black or African American	92	25.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	6	1.6%
Race Unknown	10	2.7%
International Students	1	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Business Operations Support Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Business Operations Support graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,716
4 years	$28,352
5 years	$31,368

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $31,368 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Other Business Operations Support Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Other Business Operations Support. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	7	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Other Business Operations Support Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Business Operations Support graduates earn a median of $28,352 four years after completion — about 25% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	52.04
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General	52.0401
Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry	52.0407
Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation	52.0411
Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary	52.0402
General Office Occupations and Clerical Services	52.0408
Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations	52.0409
Receptionist	52.0406
Traffic, Customs, and Transportation Clerk/Technician	52.0410
Business Administration and Management, General	52.0201
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce	52.0208
Hotel/Motel Administration/Management	52.0904

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.