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Operating systems specialist salary

Average operating systems specialist salary

$72,033

$34.63 hourly rate

Entry-level operating systems specialist salary
$51,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

The average salary for an Operating Systems Specialist is $72,033 annually, translating to approximately $35 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry. For example, specialists in states like California and New York often earn higher wages compared to those in other regions.

In addition to geographical factors, the type of organization plays a vital role in determining salaries. Operating Systems Specialists can find lucrative positions in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and technology, where their expertise is in high demand. Companies are increasingly investing in IT support, creating a robust job market for these professionals.

Moreover, individuals with advanced certifications or specialized skills may command higher salaries. As technology evolves, staying updated with the latest operating systems and software becomes essential for career growth. Job seekers should consider continuous learning and professional development opportunities to enhance their qualifications.

For those exploring job openings, resources like Zippia provide valuable insights into available positions and salary estimates, helping you make informed career decisions. Whether you are just starting or looking to advance, the opportunities in this field are promising.

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Where can an Operating Systems Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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94k
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Columbus, OH$83,825
Oklahoma City, OK$64,341
Compare salary by company
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Apple$126,340
Raytheon Technologies$73,639

Operating systems specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for an operating systems specialist typically falls between $70,209 and $111,113.
zippia
$72,033yearly
glassdoor[1]
$111,113yearly
comparably[2]
$70,209yearly

Average operating systems specialist salary by state

The average operating systems specialist salary in New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average operating systems specialist salary states are Hawaii, Utah, and Oklahoma.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for operating systems specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New Hampshire$89,492$43.02
2Virginia$83,464$40.13
3Pennsylvania$89,152$42.86
4Rhode Island$78,255$37.62
5New Jersey$89,839$43.19
6Delaware$80,571$38.74
7District of Columbia$81,756$39.31
8Georgia$81,157$39.02
9Maine$74,824$35.97
10Washington$78,651$37.81
11West Virginia$75,269$36.19
12Kansas$76,190$36.63
13Nevada$73,618$35.39
14North Carolina$73,436$35.31
15Maryland$74,888$36.00
16Michigan$72,692$34.95
17New York$78,296$37.64
18Nebraska$69,815$33.56
19Connecticut$76,039$36.56
20Ohio$72,444$34.83
21Wyoming$68,350$32.86
22Vermont$69,938$33.62
23Massachusetts$75,303$36.20
24North Dakota$66,668$32.05
25New Mexico$68,194$32.79
26Texas$69,227$33.28
27Colorado$69,251$33.29
28Alabama$67,246$32.33
29Iowa$67,632$32.52
30Minnesota$70,905$34.09
31Arizona$68,388$32.88
32Florida$70,099$33.70
33South Dakota$67,050$32.24
34Idaho$68,355$32.86
35Oregon$68,806$33.08
36Hawaii$65,611$31.54
37Kentucky$68,276$32.83
38Indiana$68,129$32.75
39Tennessee$66,786$32.11
40Missouri$68,228$32.80
41Louisiana$68,484$32.92
42Mississippi$66,238$31.85
43South Carolina$67,099$32.26
44Alaska$57,257$27.53
45Wisconsin$66,529$31.99
46Utah$64,745$31.13
47Illinois$66,627$32.03
48California$65,684$31.58
49Montana$58,130$27.95
50Arkansas$63,350$30.46
51Oklahoma$64,498$31.01
Top operating systems specialist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for operating systems specialists

The highest-paying cities for operating systems specialists are Arlington, VA, Johns Creek, GA, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Arlington, VA$83,825$40.30
2Johns Creek, GA$81,532$39.20
3New York, NY$78,427$37.71
4Farmington, CT$76,085$36.58
5Baltimore, MD$74,982$36.05
6Haverhill, MA$74,887$36.00
7Charlotte, NC$72,376$34.80
8Columbus, OH$72,222$34.72
9San Francisco, CA$70,546$33.92
10Houston, TX$69,657$33.49
11Jupiter, FL$69,577$33.45
12Lakewood, CO$69,257$33.30
13Saint Louis, MO$68,928$33.14
14North Charleston, SC$66,845$32.14
15Oklahoma City, OK$64,341$30.93

Operating systems specialist salary details

An operating systems specialist's salary ranges from $51,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average operating systems specialist salary graph
Average operating systems specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an operating systems specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$101,000$8,417$49
75th Percentile$86,000$7,167$41
Average$72,033$6,003$35
25th Percentile$60,000$5,000$29
10th Percentile$51,000$4,250$25

Highest paying operating systems specialist jobs

The highest paying types of operating systems specialists are systems manager, senior information technology specialist, and technical systems engineer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Systems Engineer$82,834$6,903$39.82145,936
Systems Manager$107,156$8,930$51.52145,551
Technical Systems Engineer$101,163$8,430$48.64192,058
Systems Support$64,031$5,336$30.78156,028
Systems Operator$38,182$3,182$18.3691,037
Information Systems Technician$46,346$3,862$22.28173,424

Top companies hiring operating systems specialists now:

  1. Bank of America jobs (3)
  2. Wells Fargo jobs (2)
  3. Cox Communications jobs (13)
  4. Nasdaq jobs (8)
  5. Capital One jobs (7)

Which companies pay operating systems specialists the most?

Operating systems specialist salaries at Apple and Cargill are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average operating systems specialist salary at companies like Bank of America and Southern California Edison are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Apple$126,340$60.74
2Cargill$100,752$48.44
3Bank of America$95,038$45.69
4Southern California Edison$94,505$45.44
5Wells Fargo$93,521$44.96
6Nasdaq$91,408$43.95
7Siemens$90,386$43.45
8Capital One$87,884$42.25
9Verizon Communications$86,206$41.45
10EchoStar$80,961$38.92
11Hughes$80,671$38.78
12Radial$78,533$37.76
13Aldridge Pite$77,919$37.46
14PGA Tour Holdings Inc$77,906$37.45
15Columbia University in the City of New York$77,586$37.30
16City of Vista, CA$76,904$36.97
17Aerojet Rocketdyne$76,064$36.57
18Gulfstream Aerospace$74,538$35.84
19KBR$74,032$35.59
20Raytheon Technologies$73,639$35.40

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$74,000$72,800$71,600$70,400$69,200$68,000
MaleFemale

Operating Systems Specialist salary by industry

The average operating systems specialist salary varies across industries:

  • The average operating systems specialist salary in the technology industry is $83,658, the highest of any industry.
  • The average operating systems specialist salary in the finance industry is $82,830.
  • Operating systems specialists in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $71,629, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for operating systems specialists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Technology$83,658$40.22
2Finance$82,830$39.82
3Health Care$75,194$36.15
4Hospitality$71,999$34.61
5Manufacturing$71,629$34.44

High paying operating systems specialist jobs

Operating systems specialist salary trends

The average operating systems specialist salary has risen by $13,144 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average operating systems specialist earned $58,889 annually, but today, they earn $72,033 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for operating systems specialists over the last decade.

Compare operating systems specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average operating systems specialist salary over time

Compare operating systems specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Operating systems specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$72,000$34.63+3.3%
2025$69,700$33.49+2.3%
2024$68,100$32.73+1.2%
2023$67,300$32.35+1.7%
2022$66,100$31.79+2.4%

Recently added operating systems specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Mount Sinai Medical CenterChange Specialist-Health System Operations-Corporate-Days-HybridNew York, NY06/29/2025$79,720
State of MaineSystems Operations SpecialistAugusta, ME06/12/2025$66,952
Transdev Services, Inc.HR People Operations & Systems SpecialistPhoenix, AZ06/10/2025$60,000
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityAcademic Operations & Systems SpecialistRichmond, VA05/29/2025$57,000
VCUAcademic Operations & Systems SpecialistRichmond, VA05/28/2025$57,000
FluentSystems Operation Specialist (Data Integrity)New York, NY05/21/2025$75,000
Transdev Services, Inc.HR People Operations & Systems SpecialistPhoenix, AZ05/10/2025$60,000
TransdevnaHR People Operations & Systems SpecialistPhoenix, AZ05/08/2025$60,000
PeratonSystems Operations SpecialistReston, VA04/30/2025$104,000
TripadvisorPrincipal Systems and Operations SpecialistNew York, NY04/28/2025$90,000

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