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Distributor operator salary
Average distributor operator salary
$37,262
Average Distributor Operator Salary
The average salary for a distributor operator is $37,262 per year or about $18 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, distributor operators in states like California and New York typically earn higher wages compared to those in other regions.
Salary by Experience Level
Experience plays a critical role in determining salary. Entry-level positions may start around $29,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $45,000 annually. As you gain experience and expertise, your earning potential increases, reflecting your value in the workforce.
Where Can a Distributor Operator Earn More?
To maximize earning potential, consider roles in industries with higher demand for logistics and distribution. Areas with significant manufacturing or retail operations often offer competitive salaries and benefits. Understanding these dynamics can position you to negotiate better compensation and job offers.
Explore Opportunities
With Zippia, you can find numerous job openings tailored to your skills and experience level. Use our platform to search for distributor operator positions that meet your career aspirations and salary expectations.
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Where can a Distributor Operator earn more?
Distributor operator salaries by experience level
Distributor operator salary estimates from across the web
Average distributor operator salary by state
The average distributor operator salary in Colorado, Hawaii, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average distributor operator salary states are Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for distributor operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $47,085 | $22.64 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $45,930 | $22.08 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $45,057 | $21.66 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $46,021 | $22.13 |
| 5 | Iowa | $42,723 | $20.54 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $47,572 | $22.87 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $41,521 | $19.96 |
| 8 | Virginia | $46,053 | $22.14 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $42,121 | $20.25 |
| 10 | Colorado | $47,800 | $22.98 |
| 11 | Washington | $45,005 | $21.64 |
| 12 | New York | $45,830 | $22.03 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $43,586 | $20.95 |
| 14 | Idaho | $42,192 | $20.28 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $43,640 | $20.98 |
| 16 | California | $43,966 | $21.14 |
| 17 | Utah | $40,248 | $19.35 |
| 18 | Arizona | $41,504 | $19.95 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $41,619 | $20.01 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $41,102 | $19.76 |
| 21 | Nevada | $40,655 | $19.55 |
| 22 | Indiana | $37,674 | $18.11 |
| 23 | Kansas | $38,644 | $18.58 |
| 24 | Montana | $41,689 | $20.04 |
| 25 | Maryland | $43,914 | $21.11 |
| 26 | Ohio | $38,067 | $18.30 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $40,179 | $19.32 |
| 28 | Maine | $39,534 | $19.01 |
| 29 | Oregon | $41,905 | $20.15 |
| 30 | Florida | $39,333 | $18.91 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $36,313 | $17.46 |
| 32 | Illinois | $38,046 | $18.29 |
| 33 | Texas | $37,519 | $18.04 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $35,691 | $17.16 |
| 35 | Delaware | $39,743 | $19.11 |
| 36 | Missouri | $37,674 | $18.11 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $36,737 | $17.66 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $38,584 | $18.55 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $36,661 | $17.63 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $37,663 | $18.11 |
| 41 | Georgia | $35,759 | $17.19 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $36,248 | $17.43 |
| 43 | Connecticut | $39,860 | $19.16 |
| 44 | Vermont | $36,321 | $17.46 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $34,773 | $16.72 |
| 46 | Michigan | $35,750 | $17.19 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $32,756 | $15.75 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $34,039 | $16.36 |
| 49 | Alabama | $33,927 | $16.31 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $35,257 | $16.95 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $34,892 | $16.77 |
Highest paying cities for distributor operators
The highest-paying cities for distributor operators are Winchester, VA, Albany, NY, and Fairfield, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winchester, VA | $47,267 | $22.72 |
| 2 | Albany, NY | $46,058 | $22.14 |
| 3 | Fairfield, CA | $44,795 | $21.54 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $44,141 | $21.22 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $41,977 | $20.18 |
| 6 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $41,722 | $20.06 |
| 7 | Reno, NV | $41,555 | $19.98 |
| 8 | Bozeman, MT | $41,492 | $19.95 |
| 9 | Logan, UT | $40,551 | $19.50 |
| 10 | South Bend, IN | $38,504 | $18.51 |
| 11 | Denton, TX | $37,588 | $18.07 |
| 12 | Greensboro, NC | $36,891 | $17.74 |
| 13 | Anderson, SC | $36,448 | $17.52 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $35,841 | $17.23 |
| 15 | Little Rock, AR | $35,518 | $17.08 |
| 16 | Allentown, PA | $34,990 | $16.82 |
| 17 | Montgomery, AL | $33,784 | $16.24 |
| 18 | Memphis, TN | $32,650 | $15.70 |
Distributor operator salary details
A distributor operator's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a distributor operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $37,262 | $3,105 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying distributor operator jobs
The highest paying types of distributor operators are dock worker/forklift operator, distributor, and terminal operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forklift Driver | $33,476 | $2,790 | $16.09 | 116,516 |
| Lift Driver | $34,457 | $2,871 | $16.57 | 72,334 |
| Machine Operator/Forklift Operator | $32,452 | $2,704 | $15.60 | 120,073 |
| Driver/Warehouse Worker | $35,198 | $2,933 | $16.92 | 310,383 |
| Driver/Material Handler | $36,219 | $3,018 | $17.41 | 198,718 |
| Warehouse Machine Operator | $33,796 | $2,816 | $16.25 | 229,051 |
Top companies hiring distributor operators now:
Which companies pay distributor operators the most?
Distributor operator salaries at BlackRock and Techtronic Industries TTI are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average distributor operator salary at companies like Town of Flower Mound and Church & Dwight Co. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackRock | $42,621 | $20.49 |
| 2 | Techtronic Industries TTI | $41,592 | $20.00 |
| 3 | Town of Flower Mound | $41,587 | $19.99 |
| 4 | Church & Dwight Co. | $41,535 | $19.97 |
| 5 | MDU Resources | $41,365 | $19.89 |
| 6 | Kohler Co. | $41,360 | $19.88 |
| 7 | Lannett | $41,335 | $19.87 |
| 8 | Strata | $41,308 | $19.86 |
| 9 | City of Oxnard | $41,093 | $19.76 |
| 10 | Cotton On Group | $41,058 | $19.74 |
| 11 | Blythe Construction | $41,033 | $19.73 |
| 12 | Colas USA | $40,928 | $19.68 |
| 13 | Schreiber Foods | $40,871 | $19.65 |
| 14 | Adams Construction | $40,800 | $19.62 |
| 15 | Elanco | $40,772 | $19.60 |
| 16 | City of Santa Barbara | $40,418 | $19.43 |
| 17 | Idaho Falls Regional Airport | $40,173 | $19.31 |
| 18 | NTUA | $40,116 | $19.29 |
| 19 | The Clorox Company | $40,113 | $19.29 |
| 20 | Volkswagen Group of America | $40,001 | $19.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Distributor Operator salary by industry
The average distributor operator salary varies across industries:
- The average distributor operator salary in the utilities industry is $42,017, the highest of any industry.
- The average distributor operator salary in the finance industry is $40,182.
- Distributor operators in the retail industry earn an average salary of $35,889, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for distributor operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $42,017 | $20.20 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $40,182 | $19.32 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $39,951 | $19.21 |
| 4 | Media | $36,693 | $17.64 |
| 5 | Retail | $35,889 | $17.25 |
High paying distributor operator jobs
Distributor operator salary trends
The average distributor operator salary has risen by $7,490 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average distributor operator earned $29,772 annually, but today, they earn $37,262 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for distributor operators over the last decade.
Compare distributor operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average distributor operator salary over time
Compare distributor operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Distributor operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,300 | $17.91 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $35,900 | $17.27 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $34,500 | $16.57 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $33,400 | $16.04 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $32,200 | $15.48 | +1.1% |
Recently added distributor operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Valley Family of Farms | Distribution Center Operator-Shift A | Cashton, WI | 06/26/2025 | $50,000 |
| Vestis | Distribution Operator | Mankato, MN | 06/22/2025 | $26,797 |
| Schreiber Foods | Distribution Operator (FDC) | Carthage, MO | 06/21/2025 | $47,438 |
| Vestis Services | Distribution Operator | Mankato, MN | 06/21/2025 | $26,797 |
| Vestis | Distribution Operator | Kent, WA | 06/19/2025 | $40,216 |
| City of South Gate | Water Distribution Operator II/III | Santa Ana, CA | 06/19/2025 | $62,748 |
| CRH | Asphalt Distributor Operator/Driver | Bono, AR | 06/18/2025 | $48,001 |
| City of Brea | Water Distribution Operator I/II | Brea, CA | 06/16/2025 | $62,184 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Warehouse Distribution Operator | Indianapolis, IN | 06/10/2025 | $60,523 |
| Iberdrola | Distribution Operator ECC | Vestal, NY | 06/05/2025 | $80,370 |
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