Pay for operations positions varies greatly across industry segments. Salaries in all areas tend to be higher in the private sector and lower in the government and nonprofit sectors. A new college graduate without experience might expect to start at $50,000 - $60,000 while, the average salary in purchasingrun $85,000 with certified purchasing managers earned an average of $95,000. Production managers can earn easily $100,000 plus performance bonuses. Top salaries for operation research analysts are as high as $250,000.