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Cliffs salary estimate

$44,025yearly

$21.17 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$23,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Cliffs Salaries

The average salary at Cliffs is $44,025 per year, reflecting competitive pay within the industry. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, department, and job role. For instance, those employed in managerial positions often receive higher compensation compared to entry-level roles. Moreover, regional differences also play a crucial role in salary expectations, with certain locations offering above-average pay.

Top Paying Positions

Cliffs provides various high-paying opportunities, especially in manufacturing and technical roles. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers target their applications effectively. The company emphasizes fair compensation practices, ensuring that employees are rewarded appropriately for their contributions.

Departmental Salary Insights

Each department within Cliffs has its own salary range, reflecting the specific skills and responsibilities required. For example, technical positions may command higher salaries due to their specialized nature. Overall, knowing the salary structure at Cliffs is beneficial for both prospective employees and current staff.

Highest paying jobs at Cliffs

The highest paying jobs at Cliffs are senior director, operations engineer, project manager, and business advisor. Senior director jobs at Cliffs earn an average yearly salary of $156,101, Cliffs operations engineer jobs average $93,391, and Cliffs project manager jobs average $87,784.

The lowest paying Cliffs roles include dietary aide and bartender. Cliffs dietary aide average salary is $27,145 per year. So while the average Cliffs salary is $44,025 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Cliffs

RankJob titleAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1Senior Director$156,101$75.05
2Operations Engineer$93,391$44.90
3Project Manager$87,784$42.20
4Business Advisor$83,736$40.26
5Mechanical Engineer$76,576$36.82
6Senior Accountant$73,757$35.46
7Finance Analyst$71,708$34.48
8Account Executive$66,604$32.02
9Executive Chef$59,549$28.63
10Operations Manager$58,356$28.06
11Truck Driver$54,740$26.32
12Sales Consultant$52,219$25.11
13Millwright$51,726$24.87
14Heavy Equipment Mechanic$50,255$24.16
15Maintenance Supervisor$49,861$23.97
16Buyer$48,159$23.15
17Tank Driver$48,015$23.08
18Massage Therapist$47,623$22.90
19Sous Chef$47,444$22.81
20Maintenance Technician$47,143$22.66

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Average Cliffs salary by state

Cliffs pays the highest salaries in Minnesota due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1Minnesota$45,335$21.80
2Pennsylvania$44,833$21.55
3Illinois$44,715$21.50
4Michigan$43,562$20.94
5Ohio$42,159$20.27
6West Virginia$41,129$19.77
7Indiana$41,081$19.75
8Kentucky$39,675$19.07
9North Carolina$39,664$19.07
10Tennessee$38,307$18.42
11Florida$37,135$17.85
12Alabama$36,906$17.74

How much does Cliffs pay by location?

The average Cliffs salary varies by location. Cliffs salaries are the highest in Riverdale, IL, at $44,824 per year. Cliffs pays the second highest average salary in Butler, PA, at $44,108 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Cliffs locations

RankLocationAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1Riverdale, IL$44,824$21.55
2Butler, PA$44,108$21.21
3Dearborn, MI$43,570$20.95
4Middletown, OH$41,188$19.80
5Columbus, IN$40,550$19.50
6Murray, KY$38,293$18.41

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Cliffs salaries by department

Salaries at Cliffs vary depending on the department you work in. Cliffs salaries in the business development department are the highest with an average salary of $86,934. Employees in the finance department at Cliffs receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $79,918 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Cliffs include the healthcare and the hospitality/service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $34,451 and $34,732, respectively.

Average Cliffs salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1Business Development$86,934$41.80
2Finance$79,918$38.42
3Engineering$71,726$34.48
4IT$69,537$33.43
5Research & Development$68,484$32.92
6Marketing$64,190$30.86
7Accounting$60,060$28.88
8Supply Chain$56,527$27.18
9Sales$55,179$26.53
10Human Resources$51,821$24.91
11Construction$50,916$24.48
12Education$50,233$24.15
13Facilities$45,221$21.74
14Plant/Manufacturing$40,006$19.23
15Administrative$37,507$18.03
16Warehouse$36,170$17.39
17Retail$35,996$17.31
18Hospitality/Service$34,732$16.70
19Healthcare$34,452$16.56

How much does Cliffs pay by department?

Best paying Cliffs plant/manufacturing salaries

RankPositionAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1General Manager Of Operations$67,687$32.54
2Maintenance Scheduler/Planner$64,690$31.10
3Maintenance Planner$49,922$24.00
4Refrigeration Specialist$46,805$22.50
5Plant Mechanic$43,649$20.99
6Line Driver$43,578$20.95
7Diesel Mechanic$43,173$20.76
8Production Scheduler$42,995$20.67
9Diesel Technician$42,454$20.41
10Quality Assurance$41,974$20.18
11Journeyman Machinist$41,645$20.02
12Roof Bolter$40,782$19.61
13Heavy Equipment Operator$39,123$18.81
14Iron Worker$38,652$18.58
15Welder$37,646$18.10
16Tube Mill Operator$37,376$17.97
17Auditor/Quality$34,286$16.48
18Line Cook$34,269$16.48
19Shift Foreman$33,142$15.93
20Production Employee$32,716$15.73

Best paying Cliffs hospitality/service salaries

RankPositionAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1Executive Chef$59,549$28.63
2Assistant General Manager$50,682$24.37
3Kitchen Manager$49,275$23.69
4Massage Therapist$47,623$22.90
5Sous Chef$47,444$22.81
6Personal Trainer$38,092$18.31
7Food And Beverage Supervisor$37,242$17.90
8Cosmetologist$36,814$17.70
9Front Desk Supervisor$35,246$16.95
10Concierge$34,077$16.38
11Dining Room Coordinator$34,007$16.35
12Truck Washer$33,932$16.31
13Cook$33,023$15.88
14Server$31,811$15.29
15Front Desk Agent$30,998$14.90
16Housekeeper$29,021$13.95
17Waitress$28,232$13.57
18Hostess$28,201$13.56
19Plant Attendant$28,111$13.51
20Bartender$27,383$13.16

Best paying Cliffs facilities salaries

RankPositionAverage Cliffs salaryHourly rate
1Electrical Supervisor$88,198$42.40
2Safety And Training Manager$62,515$30.06
3Industrial Training Specialist$57,099$27.45
4Millwright$51,726$24.87
5Heavy Equipment Mechanic$50,255$24.16
6Maintenance Supervisor$49,861$23.97
7Maintenance Technician$47,143$22.66
8Safety Specialist$45,578$21.91
9Diesel Mechanic$43,173$20.76
10Machine Repairman$42,463$20.41
11Electronics Repair Technician$39,931$19.20
12Utility Person$39,300$18.89
13Shop Assistant$30,319$14.58
14Utility Worker$30,228$14.53

Recently added Cliffs salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
IT Application EngineerOlde West Chester, OH03/18/2025$112,840
Senior IT Application EngineerEast Chicago, IN03/18/2025$106,558
Senior IT Application EngineerEast Chicago, IN03/05/2025$106,558
Heavy Equipment OperatorChicago, IL02/17/2025$45,914
Maintenance Technician Mechanical TraineeRiverdale, IL01/31/2025$62,631

What employees say about salary at Cliffs

Employee reviews
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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2023
Pros of working at Cliffs

Good pay and overall they care

Cons of working at Cliffs

Poor communication

Cliffs benefits

Vacation

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros of working at Cliffs

Good benefits

Cons of working at Cliffs

Some schedules are very ruff if u have small children

Cliffs benefits

Able to pick up overtime if needed

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Frequently asked questions about Cliffs salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Cliffs, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Cliffs. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Cliffs. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Cliffs. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Cliffs and its employees or that of Zippia.

Cliffs may also be known as or be related to Cleveland Cliffs, Cleveland-Cliffs, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and Cliffs.