Leads a city or county department that builds and maintains streets, water and sewer systems, storm drains, trash collection and public buildings. BLS does not publish separate figures for general and operations managers; it counts them within general and operations manager (SOC 11-1021), whose median pay is $105,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-1021
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Public Works Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $105,770a year, or $50.85/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $50KTop 10% $253K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.0%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 285,0003,599,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20253.6M
- Projected 20353.8M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 3.6M Projected 2035 3.8M - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school10.4%
- High school28.8%
- Certificate5.7%
- Some college21.6%
- Associate's6%
- Bachelor's27.3%
Highest education held by general and operations managers Segment Value Less than high school 10.4% High school 28.8% Certificate 5.7% Some college 21.6% Associate's 6% Bachelor's 27.3%
Also advertised as: Director of Public Works, Public Works Superintendent, Public Works Manager, Director of Public Services, City Public Works Director.
Pay
How much do General and Operations Managers make?
Every public works director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$105,770
Middle half earn $72,320 to $167,280
- 10th
- $50,090
- 25th
- $72,320
- 75th
- $167,280
- 90th
- $253,390
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $50,090 |
| 25th | $72,320 |
| Median | $105,770 |
| 75th | $167,280 |
| 90th | $253,390 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $105,770
- Median hourly wage
- $50.85/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $134,940
- People employed
- 3,503,020
Versus all US occupations
At $105,770, General and Operations Managers earn 107% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $54,790 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 16% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $253,390 or more while the bottom 10% earn $50,090, a gap of 5.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 79% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $173,690, and still leads at $159,634 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay General and Operations Managers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $173,690 | $159,634 | 53,000 |
| 2District of Columbia | $168,000 | $152,865 | 36,150 |
| 3South Dakota | $137,400 | $155,104 | 4,280 |
| 4Connecticut | $137,220 | $132,439 | 39,070 |
| 5Delaware | $137,220 | $137,484 | 5,000 |
| 6Washington | $133,750 | $124,985 | 50,630 |
| 7Colorado | $131,840 | $127,935 | 41,870 |
| 8New York | $130,860 | $121,255 | 206,740 |
| 9Massachusetts | $127,220 | $120,295 | 95,880 |
| 10New Hampshire | $124,680 | $119,695 | 22,110 |
Job outlook
Is Public Works Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | +5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of General and Operations Managers to change 5.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 181,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 285,000 openings are projected each year, 7.9% of the 3,599,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Public Works Director
Many public works directors are civil engineers with a Professional Engineer license, while others come up through operations, starting on field crews and moving into supervision and management. A bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management or public administration is common, and a master's helps in large cities.
The American Public Works Association offers the Public Works Leadership Fellow credential and certifications in public infrastructure and stormwater, plus training through its chapters. Water and wastewater operator licenses are often expected for directors who oversee utilities. Typical paths run from city engineer, operations superintendent or deputy director into the director job.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as general and operations managers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)28.8%
- Bachelor's Degree27.3%
- Some College Courses21.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma10.4%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 28.8% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 27.3% |
| Some College Courses | 21.6% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 10.4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Public Works Director do?
Public works directors run the department that keeps a community's physical systems working. Depending on the city, that can include streets and bridges, water treatment and distribution, sewers and stormwater, solid waste and recycling, fleet maintenance, public buildings and sometimes parks and airports.
Directors set priorities for maintenance and capital projects, build budgets, manage engineers and field crews, and oversee contractors on large projects. They answer to the city manager or mayor and present plans to the council. When storms hit, water mains break or snow falls, the public works director leads the response, which makes them part of the city's emergency management team. Long-term asset planning, such as replacing aging pipes, is a growing part of the job.
Day-to-day tasks
- Direct street, water, sewer, stormwater and solid waste operations
- Prepare operating and capital improvement budgets
- Plan and prioritize infrastructure maintenance and replacement
- Supervise engineers, managers and field crews
- Oversee contractors on major construction projects
- Lead the response to storms, main breaks and other emergencies
- Present plans and projects to councils and the public
- Ensure compliance with environmental and safety regulations
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Directors work from city offices with frequent field visits to project sites and maintenance yards. They attend evening council meetings and are on call around the clock for emergencies like main breaks, storms and snow events.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.6
- Writing3.5
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8
- Persuasion3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Time Management3.6
- Negotiation3.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Negotiation | 3.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Public Works Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ERC) built on O*NET's General and Operations Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Public Works Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising7.0
- Conventional5.5
- Realistic3.5
- Social3.4
- Investigative2.4
- Artistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Public Works Director
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Management
- Management
- Management
- Sales and Related
First-Line Supervisor of Non-Retail Sales Workers
$87,520median a year
Most earn $50K to $164K
+0.5%High school - Management
More management careers
Median annual pay, with general and operations managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Public Works Director$105,770
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Public Works Director | $105,770 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Public Works Director appears on
Questions
Public Works Director: frequently asked questions
How much do General and Operations Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for general and operations managers. It counts them within general and operations manager, whose median pay is $105,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $72,320 and $167,280, and the top 10% earn $253,390 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Public Works Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for General and Operations Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 28.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Public Works Director a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 285,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Public Works Director do?
Public works directors run the department that keeps a community's physical systems working. A typical task: direct street, water, sewer, stormwater and solid waste operations. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay General and Operations Managers the most?
The highest state medians for General and Operations Managers are New Jersey ($173,690), District of Columbia ($168,000), South Dakota ($137,400) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Public Works Director?
O*NET scores General and Operations Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.