VP of Data Center Operations Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure VP of Data Center Operations as its own occupation, so this page uses General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $105,770 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $72,320 to $167,280.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
General and Operations Managers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,090 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $72,320 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $105,770 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $167,280 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $253,390 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $134,940 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $24.08 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $34.77 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $50.85 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $80.42 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $121.82 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $64.87 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages cover: OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. These are straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately. BLS pay-term definitions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-1021 General and Operations Managers, United States. Download national data (ZIP).
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $105,770 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 2.07 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 94,950 | 2.7% | $157,700 | $104,550 to $217,000 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 75,370 | 2.2% | $111,450 | $80,950 to $161,960 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 56,390 | 1.6% | $164,460 | $107,720 to $218,180 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 40,250 | 1.1% | $105,740 | $79,040 to $158,540 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 36,860 | 1.1% | $176,080 | $128,790 to $224,720 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 32,560 | 0.9% | $148,700 | $99,830 to $207,480 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 29,880 | 0.9% | $119,990 | $84,900 to $165,460 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 27,260 | 0.8% | $131,400 | $88,280 to $206,120 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 15,600 | 0.4% | $129,790 | $95,990 to $182,030 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 15,570 | 0.4% | $166,910 | $114,830 to $218,110 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 11,720 | 0.3% | $105,910 | $76,880 to $154,300 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 10,960 | 0.3% | $166,350 | $134,720 to $210,430 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 6,920 | 0.2% | $129,520 | $97,400 to $177,330 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 6,690 | 0.2% | $133,260 | $99,210 to $191,670 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 4,280 | 0.1% | $99,830 | $75,420 to $151,490 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 3,600 | 0.1% | $160,350 | $105,770 to $218,870 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 2,260 | 0.1% | $180,220 | $124,730 to $258,950 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $156,460 | $99,840 to $201,010 | 112,530 | 1.59 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $111,010 | $71,040 to $173,250 | 125,090 | 1.37 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $98,610 | $64,830 to $157,230 | 81,520 | 1.52 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $111,410 | $76,980 to $171,900 | 69,320 | 1.06 |
| Columbus, OH | $102,590 | $68,340 to $164,030 | 29,070 | 1.17 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $109,390 | $76,900 to $175,170 | 122,930 | 1.21 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $163,860 | $102,330 to $245,630 | 17,230 | 0.67 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $121,050 | $81,400 to $173,280 | 21,070 | 0.77 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 392 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $181,450 | 3,100 | 0.57 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $163,860 | 17,230 | 0.67 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $157,000 | 177,850 | 0.83 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $156,460 | 112,530 | 1.59 |
| 5 | Boulder, CO | $152,100 | 2,750 | 0.63 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $149,990 | 43,520 | 0.81 |
| 7 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $148,080 | 13,370 | 0.99 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $146,030 | 29,370 | 0.62 |
| 9 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $142,730 | 1,730 | 0.43 |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $142,330 | 22,940 | 0.63 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 383 | Owensboro, KY | $73,460 | 1,200 | 1.08 |
| 384 | Guayama, PR | $71,460 | 50 | 0.19 |
| 385 | Bowling Green, KY | $71,170 | 2,010 | 1.08 |
| 386 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $70,330 | 2,320 | 1.08 |
| 387 | Jonesboro, AR | $69,370 | 1,470 | 1.08 |
| 388 | Aguadilla, PR | $67,030 | 360 | 0.33 |
| 389 | Ponce, PR | $64,000 | 370 | 0.26 |
| 390 | Hot Springs, AR | $62,810 | 1,080 | 1.24 |
| 391 | Arecibo, PR | $60,110 | 210 | 0.26 |
| 392 | Mayaguez, PR | $54,140 | 330 | 0.28 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $142,730 | $47,970 | 2.98 times | 1,730 | 0.43 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $181,450 | $63,490 | 2.86 times | 3,100 | 0.57 |
| Guayama, PR | $71,460 | $25,260 | 2.83 times | 50 | 0.19 |
| Rapid City, SD | $130,410 | $46,270 | 2.82 times | 700 | 0.42 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $131,810 | $47,520 | 2.77 times | 1,590 | 0.42 |
| Vineland, NJ | $130,180 | $48,190 | 2.70 times | 550 | 0.39 |
| Jackson, MS | $114,190 | $42,850 | 2.66 times | 3,030 | 0.5 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $103,380 | $39,070 | 2.65 times | 920 | 0.56 |
| Huntsville, AL | $136,340 | $51,740 | 2.64 times | 4,050 | 0.67 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $100,260 | $38,520 | 2.60 times | 1,380 | 0.7 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $97,860 | $37,750 | 2.59 times | 560 | 0.4 |
| Birmingham, AL | $123,560 | $47,770 | 2.59 times | 7,950 | 0.68 |
| Dover, DE | $119,990 | $46,690 | 2.57 times | 650 | 0.42 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $75,370 | $29,440 | 2.56 times | 5,690 | 0.37 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $157,000 | $61,430 | 2.56 times | 177,850 | 0.83 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $130,900 | $51,440 | 2.54 times | 3,370 | 0.93 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $122,070 | $48,070 | 2.54 times | 1,640 | 0.57 |
| Dothan, AL | $96,840 | $38,170 | 2.54 times | 840 | 0.61 |
| Decatur, AL | $117,380 | $46,280 | 2.54 times | 850 | 0.61 |
| Aguadilla, PR | $67,030 | $26,480 | 2.53 times | 360 | 0.33 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | $121,540 | $48,390 | 2.51 times | 830 | 0.53 |
| Yakima, WA | $119,470 | $47,810 | 2.50 times | 1,010 | 0.46 |
| Gadsden, AL | $91,470 | $36,660 | 2.50 times | 400 | 0.54 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $107,480 | $43,470 | 2.47 times | 1,250 | 0.35 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $148,080 | $59,940 | 2.47 times | 13,370 | 0.99 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 11-1021 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $102,950 |
| May 2025 | $105,770 |
| Difference | +$2,820 (+2.7%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call waiting or availability pay | Left out | BLS excludes payment for time spent awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. BLS on-call pay definition. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Recruiter's read
Qualitative, not from BLS data.
VP of Data Center Operations candidates are usually screened on multi-site operations; customer SLAs; budgets; M&A integration.
We usually find them through colos; hyperscalers. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for VP of Data Center Operations?
The BLS median annual wage for General and Operations Managers nationally is $105,770 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most VP of Data Center Operations earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $72,320 to $167,280, and 10% earned less than $50,090.
Is this the exact job title?
General and Operations Managers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 3,503,020 jobs nationally in General and Operations Managers across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for VP of Data Center Operations: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring VP of Data Center Operations?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about VP of Data Center Operations pay in the United States
VP of Data Center Operations maps to General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021. For the United States, the May 2025 OEWS annual median is $105,770; the middle half runs from $72,320 to $167,280. This is a broader occupation, not a separate wage estimate for this exact job. BLS does not separate seniority titles that share this row. Define decision authority and the scope of the team or account before setting the offer. The occupation estimate does not separately price your site's responsibilities.
The middle-half spread is $94,960: $33,450 from the 25th percentile to the median and $61,510 from the median to the 75th. The upper interval is wider. Use these points to compare an offer, not to price a junior or senior hire. Percentiles are not experience bands, and this distribution alone does not explain why individual workers earn different amounts.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports a annual median of $157,000 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $51,230 above the United States's median.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports a annual median of $111,010 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $5,240 above the United States's median.
The highest exact national industry medians in the loaded SOC 11-1021 rows are Monetary Authorities-Central Bank at $236,760 and Monetary Authorities-Central Bank at $236,760. These are May 2025 national occupation estimates, not local data center pay. The loaded data has no local industry-by-occupation breakdown, so it cannot rank industries within the United States.
The matched median moved from $102,950 in May 2024 to $105,770 in May 2025: $2,820 higher. Both rows use SOC 11-1021, area 99 and the same annual basis. This is not adjusted for inflation or annualized, and it does not attribute the change to a particular employer.
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. This is neither pure base salary nor total compensation. Agree travel, per diem and relocation terms separately. No verified VP of Data Center Operations-specific allowance is in this occupation row, so none is added to the figures.
Questions about VP of Data Center Operations pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports VP of Data Center Operations pay in the United States?
VP of Data Center Operations maps to SOC 11-1021, General and Operations Managers. The May 2025 annual median for the United States is $105,770. The broader mapping is not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the figure cover the whole offer for VP of Data Center Operations?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Travel and relocation terms still need their own discussion; this row supplies no separate allowance.
- vp of data center operations new york newark jersey city ny nj
- vp of data center operations dallas fort worth arlington tx
- vp of data center operations
- vp of data center operations
- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.