How To Become A Lead Computer Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead computer operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a lead computer operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $39.82 an hour? That's $82,824 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 83,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreLead Computer OperatorUS Average

Salary

6.5

Avg. Salary $82,824

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.57%

Asian 12.32%

Black or African American 8.59%

Hispanic or Latino 9.87%

Unknown 4.90%

White 63.75%

Gender

female 24.46%

male 75.54%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

5.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead computer operator

Explore lead computer operator education requirements

Most common lead computer operator degrees

Associate

38.3 %

Bachelor's

37.1 %

High School Diploma

10.7 %

Start to develop specific lead computer operator skills

Skills	Percentages
IBM Mainframe	9.97%
Hardware Problems	9.41%
Customer Service	9.35%
Computer System	4.30%
Unix	4.09%

Complete relevant lead computer operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead computer operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead computer operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead computer operator resumes.

Research lead computer operator duties and responsibilities

Manage peripheral operations of BARR systems (PC base RJE workstations), storage devices, and Litton laser printers.
Provide hardware support, maintenance, and updates on desktop PCs.
Operate IBM mainframe computer system, which consist of printers, tape drives, and a card reader.
Analyze, code and test application programs enhancements and new programs in a mainframe environment to support business goals.

Get lead computer operator experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead computer operator. The most common roles before becoming a lead computer operator include computer operator, senior computer operator team lead and computer operations supervisor.

Prepare your lead computer operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead computer operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead computer operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead computer operator resume templates

Build a professional lead computer operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead computer operator resume.