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The average salary for a Lead Operations Engineer is approximately $104,981 per year, translating to around $50 per hour. This figure reflects the compensation across various industries, highlighting the demand for skilled professionals in this role.
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary variations. States like California and New York often offer higher compensation, with salaries exceeding $120,000 in some areas. Understanding these regional differences is vital for job seekers.
Experience also influences salary; entry-level positions may start around $80,000, while seasoned engineers can earn significantly more. For those aiming for leadership roles, developing specialized skills in operations management can enhance earning potential.
Explore job openings for Lead Operations Engineers on platforms like Zippia, where you can find detailed salary insights and apply for positions that match your skills and career aspirations.
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The highest-paying states for lead operations engineers are California, Oregon, and West Virginia. The lowest average lead operations engineer salary states are Michigan, Minnesota, and Hawaii.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $113,382 | $54.51 |
| 2 | Nevada | $106,256 | $51.08 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $115,192 | $55.38 |
| 4 | Texas | $104,806 | $50.39 |
| 5 | Oregon | $117,202 | $56.35 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $104,561 | $50.27 |
| 7 | California | $122,529 | $58.91 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $101,330 | $48.72 |
| 9 | Utah | $109,236 | $52.52 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $104,454 | $50.22 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $109,429 | $52.61 |
| 12 | Arizona | $106,974 | $51.43 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $96,613 | $46.45 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $107,305 | $51.59 |
| 15 | Illinois | $106,266 | $51.09 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $99,973 | $48.06 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $96,815 | $46.55 |
| 18 | Washington | $106,335 | $51.12 |
| 19 | Alabama | $96,349 | $46.32 |
| 20 | New York | $109,984 | $52.88 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $93,172 | $44.79 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $108,711 | $52.26 |
| 23 | Maryland | $105,478 | $50.71 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $101,047 | $48.58 |
| 25 | Missouri | $98,010 | $47.12 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $94,179 | $45.28 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $95,112 | $45.73 |
| 28 | Maine | $95,846 | $46.08 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $92,495 | $44.47 |
| 30 | Delaware | $102,340 | $49.20 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $93,060 | $44.74 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $91,453 | $43.97 |
| 33 | Virginia | $97,816 | $47.03 |
| 34 | Ohio | $91,702 | $44.09 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $89,530 | $43.04 |
| 36 | Florida | $93,143 | $44.78 |
| 37 | Alaska | $85,953 | $41.32 |
| 38 | Kansas | $90,035 | $43.29 |
| 39 | Iowa | $92,137 | $44.30 |
| 40 | Georgia | $92,590 | $44.51 |
| 41 | Connecticut | $99,624 | $47.90 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $93,517 | $44.96 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $93,042 | $44.73 |
| 44 | Michigan | $87,558 | $42.10 |
| 45 | Colorado | $93,937 | $45.16 |
| 46 | Indiana | $88,126 | $42.37 |
| 47 | Montana | $80,844 | $38.87 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $82,503 | $39.66 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $87,183 | $41.91 |
| 50 | Vermont | $89,855 | $43.20 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $87,056 | $41.85 |
The highest-paying cities for lead operations engineers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $128,349 | $61.71 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $110,156 | $52.96 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $109,562 | $52.67 |
| 4 | Newark, NJ | $108,756 | $52.29 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | $108,428 | $52.13 |
| 6 | Tempe, AZ | $107,033 | $51.46 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $106,868 | $51.38 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $106,508 | $51.21 |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | $104,924 | $50.44 |
| 10 | Newark, DE | $102,279 | $49.17 |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $101,118 | $48.61 |
| 12 | Saint Louis, MO | $98,399 | $47.31 |
| 13 | McLean, VA | $97,628 | $46.94 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $97,423 | $46.84 |
| 15 | Littleton, CO | $94,073 | $45.23 |
| 16 | Oklahoma City, OK | $92,734 | $44.58 |
| 17 | Alpharetta, GA | $92,726 | $44.58 |
| 18 | Des Moines, IA | $92,006 | $44.23 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $91,839 | $44.15 |
| 20 | Overland Park, KS | $89,626 | $43.09 |
A lead operations engineer's salary ranges from $75,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $145,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| 75th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| Average | $104,981 | $8,748 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
The highest paying types of lead operations engineers are lead systems engineer, senior network engineer, and chief engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Technician | $68,938 | $5,745 | $33.14 | 79,712 |
| System Technician | $43,410 | $3,617 | $20.87 | 137,121 |
| Systems Administrator | $77,156 | $6,430 | $37.09 | 134,500 |
| Network Administrator | $71,357 | $5,946 | $34.31 | 106,886 |
| Administrator | $72,882 | $6,074 | $35.04 | 67,553 |
| Information Technology Administrator | $73,195 | $6,100 | $35.19 | 159,499 |
Top companies hiring lead operations engineers now:
Lead operations engineer salaries at Apple and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead operations engineer salary at companies like Koch Industries and Microsoft are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $145,260 | $69.84 |
| 2 | $136,033 | $65.40 | |
| 3 | Koch Industries | $125,853 | $60.51 |
| 4 | Microsoft | $125,125 | $60.16 |
| 5 | Salesforce | $123,189 | $59.23 |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $122,755 | $59.02 |
| 7 | Zscaler | $121,182 | $58.26 |
| 8 | Cornerstone | $120,664 | $58.01 |
| 9 | NBCUniversal | $119,125 | $57.27 |
| 10 | The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Inc. | $115,719 | $55.63 |
| 11 | AstraZeneca | $115,442 | $55.50 |
| 12 | Xandr | $113,762 | $54.69 |
| 13 | Edifecs | $113,052 | $54.35 |
| 14 | Douglas Emmett, Inc. | $110,555 | $53.15 |
| 15 | ICONMA | $110,384 | $53.07 |
| 16 | Western Asset Management | $110,331 | $53.04 |
| 17 | GRAIL | $108,981 | $52.39 |
| 18 | Paez, Guadalupe | $108,793 | $52.30 |
| 19 | Huntington Ingalls Industries | $108,791 | $52.30 |
| 20 | Bittrex | $108,791 | $52.30 |
The average lead operations engineer salary has risen by $19,157 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead operations engineer earned $85,824 annually, but today, they earn $104,981 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for lead operations engineers over the last decade.
Compare lead operations engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare lead operations engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.47 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $48.81 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $99,200 | $47.70 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $98,100 | $47.15 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $96,400 | $46.34 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ntrs | Lead, SW DEV OPS ENG | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $148,949 |
| Perficient | AWS ML OPS Lead Engineer-Remote | Saint Louis, MO | 06/29/2025 | $120,000 |
| Bass Pro Shops | Lead Engineer Data OPS | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $114,665 |
| Ual-Pro | Lead Engineer Data OPS | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $114,665 |
| Aerotek | Lead Operating Engineer | McLean, VA | 06/27/2025 | $66,784 |
| Northern Trust | Lead, SW DEV OPS ENG | Chicago, IL | 06/26/2025 | $148,949 |
| United Airlines | Lead Engineer Data OPS | Chicago, IL | 06/24/2025 | $114,665 |
| Accenture Federal Services | Operations Engineering Lead | Arlington, VA | 06/20/2025 | $108,400 |
| Parsons | Michigan Transportation Engineering and Operations Lead | Troy, MI | 06/20/2025 | $128,700 |
| JLL | Lead Operating Engineer | Bloomington, IN | 06/17/2025 | $80,000 |
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