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Knife River salary estimate

$44,003yearly

$21.16 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$29,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Knife River Salaries

The average salary at Knife River is $44,003 annually, reflecting the company's commitment to competitive compensation. Salaries can vary significantly based on location and job role. For instance, positions in management tend to command higher salaries compared to entry-level roles.

Highest Paying Jobs

Some of the highest paying positions at Knife River include roles in plant management and engineering. These positions not only offer competitive salaries but also include additional benefits, making them attractive options for job seekers.

Salary by Location

Knife River operates in various states, and salaries can differ based on geographical factors. For example, employees in states with a higher cost of living may receive higher compensation compared to those in other regions. It's essential for prospective employees to consider these factors when evaluating job offers.

Highest paying jobs at Knife River

The highest paying jobs at Knife River are plant manager, estimator project manager, sales representative, and foreman. Plant manager jobs at Knife River earn an average yearly salary of $73,916, Knife River estimator project manager jobs average $64,626, and Knife River sales representative jobs average $60,078.

The lowest paying Knife River roles include receptionist and yardmaster/customer service/crew dispatching. Knife River receptionist average salary is $30,477 per year. So while the average Knife River salary is $44,003 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Knife River

RankJob titleAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Plant Manager$73,916$35.54
2Estimator Project Manager$64,626$31.07
3Sales Representative$60,078$28.88
4Foreman$53,205$25.58
5Mechanic$51,878$24.94
6Staff Accountant$51,778$24.89
7Safety Coordinator$50,504$24.28
8Mixer Driver$50,167$24.12
9Truck Driver$48,313$23.23
10Supervisor$46,710$22.46
11Maintenance Technician$43,661$20.99
12Concrete Finisher$41,148$19.78
13Heavy Equipment Operator$40,647$19.54
14Prestressed Concrete Labour$40,550$19.50
15Welder$40,161$19.31
16Quality Control Technician$40,039$19.25
17Labour Operator$39,282$18.89
18Accounts Payable Clerk$37,864$18.20
19Accounting Clerk$37,204$17.89
20Administrative Assistant$37,005$17.79

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Average Knife River salary by state

Knife River pays the highest salaries in Washington due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Washington$52,931$25.45
2Alaska$52,600$25.29
3California$49,956$24.02
4North Dakota$48,862$23.49
5Minnesota$48,611$23.37
6Oregon$48,396$23.27
7Hawaii$47,924$23.04
8Wyoming$47,333$22.76
9Montana$46,726$22.46
10Utah$44,057$21.18
11Iowa$43,406$20.87
12Idaho$42,751$20.55
13Texas$39,515$19.00

How much does Knife River pay by location?

The average Knife River salary varies by location. Knife River salaries are the highest in Spokane, WA, at $52,366 per year. Knife River pays the second highest average salary in Portland, OR, at $48,481 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Knife River locations

RankLocationAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Spokane, WA$52,366$25.18
2Portland, OR$48,481$23.31
3Bryan, TX$39,253$18.87

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Knife River salaries by department

Salaries at Knife River vary depending on the department you work in. Knife River salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $55,033. Employees in the sales department at Knife River receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $53,191 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Knife River include the administrative and the warehouse organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $36,642 and $41,464, respectively.

Average Knife River salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Engineering$55,033$26.46
2Sales$53,191$25.57
3Supply Chain$48,432$23.28
4Accounting$47,452$22.81
5Construction$44,857$21.57
6Facilities$44,300$21.30
7Plant/Manufacturing$41,651$20.02
8Warehouse$41,465$19.94
9Administrative$36,642$17.62

How much does Knife River pay by department?

Best paying Knife River plant/manufacturing salaries

RankPositionAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Quality Control Manager$82,695$39.76
2Plant Manager$73,916$35.54
3Pipe Installer$52,411$25.20
4Grade Checker$51,181$24.61
5Grade Setter$43,821$21.07
6Heavy Equipment Operator$40,647$19.54
7Welder$40,161$19.31
8Quality Control Technician$40,039$19.25
9Labour Operator$39,282$18.89
10Equipment Operator-Driver$36,928$17.75
11Shift Foreman$36,912$17.75
12Mud Mixer Helper$35,609$17.12

Best paying Knife River supply chain salaries

RankPositionAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Purchasing Manager$82,295$39.56
2Buyer$51,317$24.67
3Purchasing Agent$50,454$24.26
4Mixer Driver$50,167$24.12
5Truck Driver$48,313$23.23

Best paying Knife River warehouse salaries

RankPositionAverage Knife River salaryHourly rate
1Inventory Control Analyst$49,783$23.93
2Warehouse Manager$44,348$21.32
3Warehouse Assistant Manager$42,042$20.21
4Concrete Mixer$40,710$19.57
5Shift Leader$37,314$17.94
6Driver$33,902$16.30
7Shipping And Receiving Coordinator$33,216$15.97

Knife River competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Knife River competitors, like Martin Marietta, Texas Industries, and Lehigh Hanson, vary. Martin Marietta employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $57,201. The average salary at Texas Industries is $53,640 per year, and the average salary at Lehigh Hanson is $52,389 per year.

Highest paying Knife River competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Martin Marietta4.7$57,201
2Texas Industries4.2$53,640
3Lehigh Hanson4.8$52,389
4F.O. Day3.6$51,520
5Cemex4.7$51,281
6Rinker Materials West LLC3.8$49,707
7Titan America4.5$49,343
8Lattimore Materials Co4.0$49,265
9Prairie Material4.5$49,140
10Thomas Concrete4.3$48,942
11Barnhill Contracting4.0$48,202
12Ready Mix USA3.9$47,528
13Geneva Rock Products4.2$47,316
14Branscome4.0$46,697
15Hanson Aggregates East Inc4.1$46,644
16Concrete Supply Co.3.7$45,994
17Gilchrist Construction Company, Llc4.0$45,250
18Williams Brothers Construction4.3$45,093
19Osburn Contractors4.3$44,978
20Fisher Industries4.2$44,336

Recently added Knife River salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Asphalt WorkerSioux City, IA06/25/2025$45,079
Flagger-Traveling SeasonalBemidji, MN06/20/2025$36,523
Paver Operator (Seasonal)Sauk Rapids, MN06/20/2025$52,175
Purchasing ClerkCoos Bay, OR06/18/2025$45,914
Accounting Clerk-APSauk Rapids, MN06/18/2025$41,740

What employees say about salary at Knife River

Employee reviews
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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros of working at Knife River

The people it’s a great job also the type of work we do .

Cons of working at Knife River

Moving to Arizona

Knife River benefits

Health benefits

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Frequently asked questions about Knife River salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Knife River, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Knife River. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Knife River. 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 Knife River. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Knife River and its employees or that of Zippia.

Knife River may also be known as or be related to Knife River, Knife River Corporation and Knife River Ranch Vacations Inc.