Post job

Co-owner/operator salary

Quoted expert
Laura Lott Valenti

Average co-owner/operator salary

$15.51

$32,256 yearly

Entry-level co-owner/operator salary
$21,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Average Co-Owner/Operator Salary

The average salary for a Co-Owner/Operator stands at approximately $32,256 per year or $16 per hour. However, salaries can differ significantly based on factors such as geographic location and industry. For example, co-owner/operators in urban areas often command higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level positions typically start at around $25,000, while experienced professionals can earn upwards of $50,000 annually. This salary growth reflects the skills and expertise developed over time.

Where Can You Earn More?

Some states and cities offer notably higher salaries. For instance, states like California and New York rank among the highest for co-owner/operator earnings. Additionally, cities such as San Francisco and New York City provide lucrative opportunities due to their thriving business environments.

Conclusion

Understanding the salary structure for Co-Owner/Operators not only helps you gauge potential earnings but also guides your career decisions. Explore job listings and regional data to find the best opportunities tailored to your experience and aspirations.

On this page
Co-owner/operator salary by: 

Let Zippi find your next co-owner/operator job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippi find your next co-owner/operator job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Co-Owner/Operator earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
55k
35k
15k
-5k
Columbus, OH$36,695
Asheville, NC$24,522
Compare salary by company
Vs
101k
81k
61k
41k
21k
BorgWarner$86,422
Burns & McDonnell$50,765

Co-owner/operator salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level co-owner/operator$13,300$6.39
Mid-level co-owner/operator$20,500$9.87
Senior-level co-owner/operator$37,200$17.89

Average co-owner/operator salary by state

The average co-owner/operator salary in New York, Virginia, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average co-owner/operator salary states are Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Idaho.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for co-owner/operators

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1South Dakota$29,746$14.30
2Virginia$37,030$17.80
3New York$38,835$18.67
4Wisconsin$33,259$15.99
5Louisiana$29,268$14.07
6New Jersey$36,621$17.61
7Washington$33,526$16.12
8Alabama$28,300$13.61
9Rhode Island$31,629$15.21
10Delaware$31,194$15.00
11Tennessee$28,116$13.52
12Connecticut$33,249$15.99
13Maryland$32,528$15.64
14Massachusetts$31,565$15.18
15Illinois$29,078$13.98
16California$33,665$16.19
17Nevada$29,286$14.08
18Michigan$26,919$12.94
19District of Columbia$33,584$16.15
20Pennsylvania$27,535$13.24
21Colorado$28,898$13.89
22Arizona$28,646$13.77
23Maine$28,985$13.94
24Minnesota$27,479$13.21
25Kansas$24,912$11.98
26Indiana$26,494$12.74
27North Dakota$24,625$11.84
28Ohio$25,065$12.05
29Iowa$25,185$12.11
30Oregon$26,892$12.93
31Arkansas$23,505$11.30
32Florida$28,122$13.52
33Missouri$24,513$11.79
34Georgia$25,232$12.13
35North Carolina$24,838$11.94
36South Carolina$24,224$11.65
37Kentucky$23,176$11.14
38West Virginia$22,619$10.87
39Texas$24,590$11.82
40Oklahoma$22,015$10.58
41New Mexico$22,961$11.04
42New Hampshire$25,917$12.46
43Nebraska$21,891$10.52
44Hawaii$25,415$12.22
45Idaho$21,367$10.27
46Vermont$24,394$11.73
47Alaska$22,519$10.83
48Wyoming$20,300$9.76
49Mississippi$18,954$9.11
50Utah$22,037$10.59
51Montana$20,871$10.03

Highest paying cities for co-owner/operators

The highest-paying cities for co-owner/operators are Rahway, NJ, South San Francisco, CA, and Appleton, WI.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Rahway, NJ$36,695$17.64
2South San Francisco, CA$34,551$16.61
3Appleton, WI$33,597$16.15
4Boston, MA$31,587$15.19
5Aurora, CO$28,853$13.87
6Fort Lauderdale, FL$28,220$13.57
7Philadelphia, PA$27,853$13.39
8Saginaw, MI$27,268$13.11
9Akron, OH$26,198$12.60
10Bloomington, IN$26,162$12.58
11Atlanta, GA$25,134$12.08
12Wichita, KS$24,996$12.02
13West Fargo, ND$24,840$11.94
14Austin, TX$24,832$11.94
15Asheville, NC$24,522$11.79

Co-owner/operator salary details

A co-owner/operator's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $49,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average co-owner/operator salary graph
Average co-owner/operator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a co-owner/operator's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$49,000$4,083$24
75th Percentile$40,000$3,333$19
Average$32,256$2,688$16
25th Percentile$25,000$2,083$12
10th Percentile$21,000$1,750$10

Highest paying co-owner/operator jobs

The highest paying types of co-owner/operators are owner/operator, managing partner, and head operator.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Managing Partner$147,401$12,283$70.8766,916
Store Manager$46,950$3,912$22.57446,127
Entrepreneur$70,849$5,904$34.0634,711
Business Manager$83,198$6,933$40.00377,191
Manager$58,651$4,888$28.201,236,194
General Manager$71,581$5,965$34.41442,690

How would you rate the starting salaries for co-owner/operators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Laura Lott Valenti

Assistant Professor of Marketing John C. Daigle Endowed Professor, Nicholls State University

Just yesterday, one of my sales students was told, in an interview, that the starting salary was $50K base and a commission cap of $22.5K for a virtual sales position with a well-branded organization. I think this is great and in line with the industry and expectations! (I also have three former students who work for the company, so he would be in great hands.)

Top companies hiring co-owner/operators now:

  1. Genentech jobs (7)
  2. IBM jobs (24)
  3. Marathon Petroleum jobs (11)
  4. Merck jobs (7)
  5. General Electric jobs (24)

Which companies pay co-owner/operators the most?

Co-owner/operator salaries at BorgWarner and Merck are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average co-owner/operator salary at companies like Amgen and Skyworks Solutions are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1BorgWarner$86,422$41.55
2Merck$72,466$34.84
3Amgen$70,525$33.91
4Skyworks Solutions$68,980$33.16
5Nexteer Automotive$67,598$32.50
6Health Alliance$66,061$31.76
7Magna International$65,980$31.72
8Battelle$63,895$30.72
9M&T Bank$62,437$30.02
10Dana Incorporated$60,632$29.15
11Trojan Battery$60,536$29.10
12Johnson & Johnson$58,407$28.08
13ADTRAN$54,582$26.24
14Siemens$54,322$26.12
15rabbittransit$53,835$25.88
16Amcor$52,791$25.38
17Scot Forge$51,079$24.56
18DuPont$50,958$24.50
19Turner Construction$50,771$24.41
20Burns & McDonnell$50,765$24.41

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$34,000$33,200$32,400$31,600$30,800$30,000
MaleFemale

Co-Owner/Operator salary by industry

The average co-owner/operator salary varies across industries:

  • The average co-owner/operator salary in the technology industry is $49,760, the highest of any industry.
  • The average co-owner/operator salary in the finance industry is $46,725.
  • Co-owner/operators in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $29,000, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for co-owner/operators

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Technology$49,760$23.92
2Automotive$46,725$22.46
3Energy$45,977$22.10
4Manufacturing$44,392$21.34
5Professional$41,467$19.94
6Transportation$35,191$16.92
7Hospitality$29,000$13.94

High paying co-owner/operator jobs

Co-owner/operator salary trends

The average co-owner/operator salary has risen by $2,645 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average co-owner/operator earned $29,611 annually, but today, they earn $32,256 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for co-owner/operators over the last decade.

Compare co-owner/operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average co-owner/operator salary over time

Compare co-owner/operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Co-owner/operator salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$32,300$15.51+2.8%
2024$31,400$15.08-0.1%
2023$31,400$15.10+0.5%
2022$31,200$15.02+1.1%
2021$30,900$14.86+1.6%

Recently added co-owner/operator salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
DraperAsic Design Co-Op, Fall TermCambridge, MA06/30/2025$58,436
Bozeman Community Food Co-OpCo-Op Grocery StaffBozeman, MT06/22/2025$41,740
Haleon PlcOperations Co-Op (July 2025 Start)Hillcrest, NY06/12/2025$51,132
Johnson & JohnsonQuality Co-OpIrvine, CA05/22/2025$45,914
SaratechApplied AI Co-OpCincinnati, OH05/17/2025$41,740
SaratechApplied AI Co-OpMission Viejo, CA05/15/2025$41,740
ALC/LVMAALC Lcti Co-Op PositionsTrexlertown, PA05/15/2025$25,044
The Cooper CompaniesEHS Co-OpFine, NY05/10/2025$53,219
Essity AbEnvironmental Co-OpMenasha, WI05/03/2025$43,827
EntegrisEHS Co-OpChaska, MN04/29/2025$41,740

Co-owner/operator salary FAQs

Search for co-owner/operator jobs

Browse executive management jobs