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Control operator salary
Average control operator salary
$42,885
Control Operator Salary Insights
The average salary for a Control Operator stands at approximately $42,885 annually, or around $21 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and specific industry sectors.
Top Paying States
Control operators can earn higher salaries in certain states. For instance, states like California and Texas typically offer better compensation due to the demand for skilled operators in these regions. Understanding the local job market can help you identify opportunities for better pay.
Experience Matters
Entry-level control operators may start at lower salaries, while those with several years of experience can command significantly higher wages, often exceeding $50,000 annually. This career path offers various opportunities for advancement, particularly in specialized fields such as energy management and industrial automation.
Job Opportunities
In addition to salary, job opportunities for control operators are abundant across sectors. Industries such as manufacturing, utilities, and even technology are always looking for qualified personnel. By leveraging resources like Zippia, you can find job listings that match your skills and salary expectations.
Let Zippia find your next control operator job
Let Zippia find your next control operator job
Where can a Control Operator earn more?
Control operator salary estimates from across the web
Average control operator salary by state
The highest-paying states for control operators are Illinois, Michigan, and Texas. The lowest average control operator salary states are Oklahoma, Georgia, and New Jersey.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for control operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $44,847 | $21.56 |
| 2 | Michigan | $46,705 | $22.45 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $45,494 | $21.87 |
| 4 | Florida | $45,968 | $22.10 |
| 5 | Texas | $46,209 | $22.22 |
| 6 | Illinois | $46,772 | $22.49 |
| 7 | Idaho | $45,016 | $21.64 |
| 8 | Alaska | $44,248 | $21.27 |
| 9 | Utah | $41,953 | $20.17 |
| 10 | New York | $46,172 | $22.20 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $44,773 | $21.53 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $40,301 | $19.38 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $39,933 | $19.20 |
| 14 | Maryland | $43,043 | $20.69 |
| 15 | Alabama | $39,783 | $19.13 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $39,964 | $19.21 |
| 17 | Washington | $44,050 | $21.18 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $41,677 | $20.04 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $40,388 | $19.42 |
| 20 | Iowa | $39,660 | $19.07 |
| 21 | Oregon | $43,471 | $20.90 |
| 22 | Ohio | $39,817 | $19.14 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $39,033 | $18.77 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $41,573 | $19.99 |
| 25 | Kansas | $40,332 | $19.39 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $40,615 | $19.53 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $39,942 | $19.20 |
| 28 | Colorado | $41,769 | $20.08 |
| 29 | California | $41,752 | $20.07 |
| 30 | Indiana | $38,629 | $18.57 |
| 31 | Arizona | $41,273 | $19.84 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $39,484 | $18.98 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $38,299 | $18.41 |
| 34 | Virginia | $39,250 | $18.87 |
| 35 | Montana | $39,640 | $19.06 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $37,452 | $18.01 |
| 37 | Nevada | $38,420 | $18.47 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $39,098 | $18.80 |
| 39 | Connecticut | $40,153 | $19.30 |
| 40 | Vermont | $40,535 | $19.49 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $37,592 | $18.07 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $39,379 | $18.93 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $36,889 | $17.74 |
| 44 | Georgia | $36,996 | $17.79 |
| 45 | Maine | $39,434 | $18.96 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $38,606 | $18.56 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $38,111 | $18.32 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $34,156 | $16.42 |
| 49 | Delaware | $36,456 | $17.53 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $37,114 | $17.84 |
| 51 | Missouri | $34,924 | $16.79 |
Highest paying cities for control operators
The highest-paying cities for control operators are Hoffman Estates, IL, Lansing, MI, and Miami, FL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoffman Estates, IL | $46,877 | $22.54 |
| 2 | Lansing, MI | $46,769 | $22.49 |
| 3 | Miami, FL | $46,429 | $22.32 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $46,161 | $22.19 |
| 5 | Sugar Land, TX | $46,154 | $22.19 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $45,497 | $21.87 |
| 7 | Auburn, WA | $44,133 | $21.22 |
| 8 | Carolina, PR | $44,037 | $21.17 |
| 9 | San Francisco, CA | $42,128 | $20.25 |
| 10 | Grand Junction, CO | $42,000 | $20.19 |
| 11 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $41,689 | $20.04 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $41,637 | $20.02 |
| 13 | Topeka, KS | $40,444 | $19.44 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $40,285 | $19.37 |
| 15 | Findlay, OH | $39,943 | $19.20 |
| 16 | Huntsville, AL | $39,805 | $19.14 |
| 17 | Arlington, VA | $39,548 | $19.01 |
| 18 | Sparks, NV | $38,661 | $18.59 |
| 19 | Anderson, SC | $37,491 | $18.02 |
| 20 | Tulsa, OK | $37,052 | $17.81 |
Control operator salary details
A control operator's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $55,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a control operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $42,885 | $3,574 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying control operator jobs
The highest paying types of control operators are controller, plant controller, and accounting manager/controller.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting Manager/Controller | $93,973 | $7,831 | $45.18 | 58,292 |
| Plant Controller | $99,550 | $8,296 | $47.86 | 47,555 |
| Production Operator | $35,185 | $2,932 | $16.92 | 117,254 |
| Set-Up Operator | $39,269 | $3,272 | $18.88 | 55,670 |
| Laser Operator | $34,813 | $2,901 | $16.74 | 56,479 |
| Chemical Operator | $40,526 | $3,377 | $19.48 | 36,522 |
Top companies hiring control operators now:
Which companies pay control operators the most?
Control operator salaries at Battelle and National Grid plc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average control operator salary at companies like Magellan Midstream Partners and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Battelle | $62,285 | $29.94 |
| 2 | National Grid plc | $60,696 | $29.18 |
| 3 | Magellan Midstream Partners | $56,838 | $27.33 |
| 4 | $52,351 | $25.17 | |
| 5 | Yale University | $51,772 | $24.89 |
| 6 | Novo Nordisk | $51,325 | $24.68 |
| 7 | Avista | $50,485 | $24.27 |
| 8 | University of Virginia | $50,482 | $24.27 |
| 9 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | $49,644 | $23.87 |
| 10 | Fresenius Kabi | $49,597 | $23.84 |
| 11 | Alere | $49,290 | $23.70 |
| 12 | Dakkota Integrated Systems | $48,978 | $23.55 |
| 13 | Turner & Townsend | $48,465 | $23.30 |
| 14 | Abbott | $48,411 | $23.27 |
| 15 | General Electric | $48,190 | $23.17 |
| 16 | CliftonLarsonAllen | $48,003 | $23.08 |
| 17 | United States Army War College | $47,933 | $23.04 |
| 18 | Toyota Boshoku America | $47,864 | $23.01 |
| 19 | Southern California Edison | $47,411 | $22.79 |
| 20 | Musco Lighting | $47,381 | $22.78 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Control Operator salary by industry
The average control operator salary varies across industries:
- The average control operator salary in the energy industry is $47,698, the highest of any industry.
- The average control operator salary in the finance industry is $44,059.
- Control operators in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $39,395, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for control operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $47,698 | $22.93 |
| 2 | Transportation | $44,059 | $21.18 |
| 3 | Technology | $43,353 | $20.84 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $43,134 | $20.74 |
| 5 | Utilities | $42,395 | $20.38 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $39,395 | $18.94 |
High paying control operator jobs
Control operator salary trends
The average control operator salary has risen by $6,929 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average control operator earned $35,956 annually, but today, they earn $42,885 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for control operators over the last decade.
Compare control operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average control operator salary over time
Compare control operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Control operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,900 | $20.62 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $41,500 | $19.94 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $40,900 | $19.67 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $40,100 | $19.25 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | $38,700 | $18.59 | +2.2% |
Recently added control operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Sciences | Access Control Operator IV | Madison, WI | 06/28/2025 | $51,000 |
| Energizer Holdings, Inc. | Material Control Operator (Forklift)-Night Shift | Asheboro, NC | 06/27/2025 | $44,349 |
| Heraeus Holding | Operator, Water Control | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 06/27/2025 | $45,000 |
| Atlas Air | Operations Controller | Erlanger, KY | 06/21/2025 | $52,500 |
| Avports LLC | HVN-Terminal Operations Controller | New Haven, CT | 06/21/2025 | $50,088 |
| Bethesda Health | Infection Control Preventionist, Corp Quality & Accred OPS, 8A P | Boca Raton, FL | 06/18/2025 | $62,974 |
| Baptisthlth | Infection Control Preventionist, Corp Quality & Accred OPS, 8A P | Boca Raton, FL | 06/16/2025 | $62,974 |
| Baptist Health South Florida | Infection Control Preventionist, Corp Quality & Accred OPS, 8A P | Boca Raton, FL | 06/13/2025 | $62,974 |
| Fresenius Kabi USA | Aseptic Control Operator I (Nights) | Wilson, NC | 06/12/2025 | $41,740 |
| Automation Personnel Services | Process Control Operator | Pasadena, TX | 06/10/2025 | $33,392 |
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