How much does a machine operator make?

The average machine operator salary in the United States is $32,874. Machine operator salaries typically range between $26,000 and $40,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for machine operators is $15.8 per hour. Machine operator salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Machine operators earn the highest average salary in Minnesota.

Machine operator salary

Q: What state pays Machine Operators the most?

Minnesota pays Machine Operators the most in the United States, with an average salary of $36,966 per year, or $17.77 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a machine operator?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a machine operator if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Wisconsin you should be paid close to $35,869 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Machine Operator?

A good starting salary for a machine operator is $27,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a machine operator in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for machine operators is $32,658, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a machine operator can vary by state.

Q: How much do big machine operators make?

Big machine operators, also known as heavy equipment operators or construction equipment operators, make roughly $49,000. Depending on the role, you can earn more. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pile-driver operators made about $63,370 in 2020.

Q: How much do machine operators make a year?

Machine operators make $28,000 a year. A machine operator, on average, makes $28,000 a year, with salaries ranging anywhere between $23,000 and $34,000. The barrier to entry for a machine operator is incredibly low, but sadly so is the pay rate. People with significant experience may find themselves earning more, though it is usually more beneficial to pursue advancement within the field.

Average machine operator salary

$15.8

$32,874 yearly

Entry-level machine operator salary

$26,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Machine Operator Salaries

The average salary for a machine operator in the United States is approximately $32,874 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific industry. For instance, machine operators in states like California and New York often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled labor.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level machine operators typically start at a lower wage, around $15.8 per hour, while those with several years of experience can see their pay increase to upwards of $20 per hour. Advanced positions, such as supervisory roles, may offer even higher compensation.

Job Opportunities

With the manufacturing sector continually evolving, opportunities for machine operators abound. From automotive production to food processing, various industries require skilled operators. Job seekers can enhance their prospects by gaining certifications or additional training in specialized machine operation.

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Machine operator salary by:

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Where can a Machine Operator earn more?

Compare salary by location

63k

43k

23k

Columbus, OH$37,003

Lancaster, NY$32,562

Compare salary by company

72k

52k

32k

12k

BD$49,043

Motorola Solutions$42,306

Machine operator salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level machine operator	$25,000	$12.00
Mid-level machine operator	$31,900	$15.32
Senior-level machine operator	$38,700	$18.62

Machine operator salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a machine operator typically falls between $32,874 and $43,590.

zippia

$32,874yearly

glassdoor[1]

$43,590yearly

indeed[2]

$37,920yearly

comparably[3]

$41,240yearly

Salary.com[4]

$43,230yearly

Average machine operator salary by state

The highest-paying states for machine operators are Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington. The lowest average machine operator salary states are Oklahoma, Alabama, and New Mexico.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for machine operators

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Wisconsin	$35,869	$17.24
2	Minnesota	$36,966	$17.77
3	Pennsylvania	$34,945	$16.80
4	Rhode Island	$34,607	$16.64
5	Indiana	$33,724	$16.21
6	Kentucky	$34,074	$16.38
7	Ohio	$33,641	$16.17
8	Maine	$35,169	$16.91
9	Idaho	$35,212	$16.93
10	Iowa	$33,229	$15.98
11	North Dakota	$34,740	$16.70
12	Missouri	$34,312	$16.50
13	Oregon	$34,859	$16.76
14	Illinois	$33,711	$16.21
15	Washington	$35,676	$17.15
16	Nevada	$33,913	$16.30
17	Utah	$33,090	$15.91
18	Kansas	$32,830	$15.78
19	Michigan	$32,615	$15.68
20	New Hampshire	$32,539	$15.64
21	Massachusetts	$32,778	$15.76
22	Maryland	$32,969	$15.85
23	New Jersey	$33,618	$16.16
24	California	$34,272	$16.48
25	Delaware	$33,924	$16.31
26	Vermont	$32,409	$15.58
27	Nebraska	$31,668	$15.22
28	Alaska	$30,862	$14.84
29	South Dakota	$32,231	$15.50
30	District of Columbia	$33,563	$16.14
31	Hawaii	$32,720	$15.73
32	Colorado	$32,967	$15.85
33	Tennessee	$30,308	$14.57
34	West Virginia	$32,211	$15.49
35	South Carolina	$31,565	$15.18
36	Arizona	$32,045	$15.41
37	Arkansas	$30,358	$14.60
38	Georgia	$30,322	$14.58
39	North Carolina	$30,025	$14.44
40	Connecticut	$32,154	$15.46
41	New York	$32,241	$15.50
42	Mississippi	$28,776	$13.83
43	Alabama	$28,264	$13.59
44	Virginia	$30,693	$14.76
45	Texas	$28,517	$13.71
46	Montana	$29,626	$14.24
47	Oklahoma	$28,380	$13.64
48	Florida	$27,421	$13.18
49	New Mexico	$28,108	$13.51
50	Louisiana	$27,029	$12.99
51	Wyoming	$20,035	$9.63

Top machine operator jobs near you

Highest paying cities for machine operators

The highest-paying cities for machine operators are Minneapolis, MN, Green Bay, WI, and Kent, WA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Minneapolis, MN	$37,003	$17.79
2	Green Bay, WI	$36,213	$17.41
3	Kent, WA	$35,702	$17.16
4	Portland, ME	$35,220	$16.93
5	Allentown, PA	$35,165	$16.91
6	Portland, OR	$34,877	$16.77
7	Fargo, ND	$34,839	$16.75
8	Richmond, CA	$34,803	$16.73
9	Florence, KY	$34,550	$16.61
10	Kansas City, MO	$34,471	$16.57
11	Fort Wayne, IN	$34,177	$16.43
12	Cleveland, OH	$34,131	$16.41
13	Elgin, IL	$33,845	$16.27
14	Cedar Rapids, IA	$33,362	$16.04
15	Salt Lake City, UT	$33,040	$15.88
16	Kansas City, KS	$32,996	$15.86
17	Denver, CO	$32,957	$15.84
18	Grand Rapids, MI	$32,715	$15.73
19	Manchester, NH	$32,563	$15.66
20	Lancaster, NY	$32,562	$15.65

Machine Operators are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Machine operator salary details

A machine operator's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average machine operator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a machine operator's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$40,000	$3,333	$19
75th Percentile	$36,000	$3,000	$17
Average	$32,874	$2,740	$16
25th Percentile	$29,000	$2,417	$14
10th Percentile	$26,000	$2,167	$13

Highest paying machine operator jobs

The highest paying types of machine operators are press machine operator, welder-machine operator, and machine operator/machinist.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Assembly Operator	$31,928	$2,661	$15.35	87,293
Machine Operator/Forklift Operator	$32,452	$2,704	$15.60	120,073
Production Operator	$35,185	$2,932	$16.92	117,254
Manufacturing Operator	$34,457	$2,871	$16.57	97,656
Assembling Machine Operator	$31,275	$2,606	$15.04	87,253
Warehouse Machine Operator	$33,796	$2,816	$16.25	229,051

Top companies hiring machine operators now:

Which companies pay machine operators the most?

Machine operator salaries at BD and CONMED are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average machine operator salary at companies like Ventura Foods and Anomatic are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	BD	$49,043	$23.58
2	CONMED	$45,273	$21.77
3	Ventura Foods	$44,852	$21.56
4	Anomatic	$44,501	$21.39
5	Darigold	$44,432	$21.36
6	United Natural Foods	$44,189	$21.24
7	Nation Pizza	$44,115	$21.21
8	Reser's Fine Foods	$43,874	$21.09
9	Alpenrose Dairy	$43,680	$21.00
10	Koch Foods	$43,672	$21.00
11	Dairy Farmers of America	$43,648	$20.98
12	West Liberty Foods	$43,587	$20.96
13	Medtronic	$43,464	$20.90
14	Uline	$43,441	$20.89
15	Kemps	$43,315	$20.82
16	Nestlé	$43,067	$20.71
17	Ken's Foods	$42,919	$20.63
18	Clearwater Paper	$42,824	$20.59
19	Steel Dynamics	$42,636	$20.50
20	Motorola Solutions	$42,306	$20.34

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$34,000$33,600$33,200$32,800$32,400$32,000

MaleFemale

Machine Operator salary by industry

The average machine operator salary varies across industries:

The average machine operator salary in the automotive industry is $37,558, the highest of any industry.
The average machine operator salary in the finance industry is $36,050.
Machine operators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $33,217, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for machine operators

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Automotive	$37,558	$18.06
2	Manufacturing	$36,050	$17.33
3	Technology	$35,582	$17.11
4	Retail	$33,641	$16.17
5	Professional	$33,217	$15.97

High paying machine operator jobs

Machine operator salary trends

The average machine operator salary has risen by $7,070 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average machine operator earned $25,804 annually, but today, they earn $32,874 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for machine operators over the last decade.

Compare machine operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average machine operator salary over time

Compare machine operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Machine operator salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$32,900	$15.80	+5.1%
2024	$31,200	$15.01	+2.7%
2023	$30,400	$14.60	+2.7%
2022	$29,600	$14.21	+3.6%
2021	$28,500	$13.70	+4.3%

Recently added machine operator salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Applied Materials	Machine Operator-(O3)	Tempe, AZ	06/30/2025	$41,740
Quad	Machine Operator In Training	Franklin, WI	06/30/2025	$48,001
Jeppesen	Associate Machine Operator (2ND Shift)	Helena, MT	06/30/2025	$48,600
U-Haul	Machine Operator 3PM PM	Bristol, PA	06/30/2025	$41,740
Peopleready	Machine Operator	Strongsville, OH	06/30/2025	$31,305
American Packaging Corporation	Experienced Machine Operators	Chili, NY	06/30/2025	$52,175
Alfa Laval	Machine Operator	Broken Arrow, OK	06/30/2025	$35,479
Alfa Laval	Machine Operator, 1St. Shift-HFH	Richmond, VA	06/30/2025	$39,194
Brook + Whittle	Pouch Machine Operator	Northbrook, IL	06/30/2025	$43,827
Ccc	Machine Operator 1St. Shift	Tukwila, WA	06/30/2025	$50,464

Machine operator salary FAQs

What state pays Machine Operators the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a machine operator?

What is a good starting salary for a Machine Operator?

How much do big machine operators make?

How much do machine operators make a year?

Have more questions? See all answers to common production and manufacturing questions.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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