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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.
Let Zippia find your next operating systems specialist job
Let Zippia find your next operating systems specialist job
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.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $89,492 | $43.02 |
| 2 | Virginia | $83,464 | $40.13 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $89,152 | $42.86 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $78,255 | $37.62 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $89,839 | $43.19 |
| 6 | Delaware | $80,571 | $38.74 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $81,756 | $39.31 |
| 8 | Georgia | $81,157 | $39.02 |
| 9 | Maine | $74,824 | $35.97 |
| 10 | Washington | $78,651 | $37.81 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $75,269 | $36.19 |
| 12 | Kansas | $76,190 | $36.63 |
| 13 | Nevada | $73,618 | $35.39 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $73,436 | $35.31 |
| 15 | Maryland | $74,888 | $36.00 |
| 16 | Michigan | $72,692 | $34.95 |
| 17 | New York | $78,296 | $37.64 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $69,815 | $33.56 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $76,039 | $36.56 |
| 20 | Ohio | $72,444 | $34.83 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $68,350 | $32.86 |
| 22 | Vermont | $69,938 | $33.62 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $75,303 | $36.20 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $66,668 | $32.05 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $68,194 | $32.79 |
| 26 | Texas | $69,227 | $33.28 |
| 27 | Colorado | $69,251 | $33.29 |
| 28 | Alabama | $67,246 | $32.33 |
| 29 | Iowa | $67,632 | $32.52 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $70,905 | $34.09 |
| 31 | Arizona | $68,388 | $32.88 |
| 32 | Florida | $70,099 | $33.70 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $67,050 | $32.24 |
| 34 | Idaho | $68,355 | $32.86 |
| 35 | Oregon | $68,806 | $33.08 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $65,611 | $31.54 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $68,276 | $32.83 |
| 38 | Indiana | $68,129 | $32.75 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $66,786 | $32.11 |
| 40 | Missouri | $68,228 | $32.80 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $68,484 | $32.92 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $66,238 | $31.85 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $67,099 | $32.26 |
| 44 | Alaska | $57,257 | $27.53 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $66,529 | $31.99 |
| 46 | Utah | $64,745 | $31.13 |
| 47 | Illinois | $66,627 | $32.03 |
| 48 | California | $65,684 | $31.58 |
| 49 | Montana | $58,130 | $27.95 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $63,350 | $30.46 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $64,498 | $31.01 |
The highest-paying cities for operating systems specialists are Arlington, VA, Johns Creek, GA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlington, VA | $83,825 | $40.30 |
| 2 | Johns Creek, GA | $81,532 | $39.20 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $78,427 | $37.71 |
| 4 | Farmington, CT | $76,085 | $36.58 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $74,982 | $36.05 |
| 6 | Haverhill, MA | $74,887 | $36.00 |
| 7 | Charlotte, NC | $72,376 | $34.80 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | $72,222 | $34.72 |
| 9 | San Francisco, CA | $70,546 | $33.92 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $69,657 | $33.49 |
| 11 | Jupiter, FL | $69,577 | $33.45 |
| 12 | Lakewood, CO | $69,257 | $33.30 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $68,928 | $33.14 |
| 14 | North Charleston, SC | $66,845 | $32.14 |
| 15 | Oklahoma City, OK | $64,341 | $30.93 |
An operating systems specialist's salary ranges from $51,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly 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 |
The highest paying types of operating systems specialists are systems manager, senior information technology specialist, and technical systems engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Engineer | $82,834 | $6,903 | $39.82 | 145,936 |
| Systems Manager | $107,156 | $8,930 | $51.52 | 145,551 |
| Technical Systems Engineer | $101,163 | $8,430 | $48.64 | 192,058 |
| Systems Support | $64,031 | $5,336 | $30.78 | 156,028 |
| Systems Operator | $38,182 | $3,182 | $18.36 | 91,037 |
| Information Systems Technician | $46,346 | $3,862 | $22.28 | 173,424 |
Top companies hiring operating systems specialists now:
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.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $126,340 | $60.74 |
| 2 | Cargill | $100,752 | $48.44 |
| 3 | Bank of America | $95,038 | $45.69 |
| 4 | Southern California Edison | $94,505 | $45.44 |
| 5 | Wells Fargo | $93,521 | $44.96 |
| 6 | Nasdaq | $91,408 | $43.95 |
| 7 | Siemens | $90,386 | $43.45 |
| 8 | Capital One | $87,884 | $42.25 |
| 9 | Verizon Communications | $86,206 | $41.45 |
| 10 | EchoStar | $80,961 | $38.92 |
| 11 | Hughes | $80,671 | $38.78 |
| 12 | Radial | $78,533 | $37.76 |
| 13 | Aldridge Pite | $77,919 | $37.46 |
| 14 | PGA Tour Holdings Inc | $77,906 | $37.45 |
| 15 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $77,586 | $37.30 |
| 16 | City of Vista, CA | $76,904 | $36.97 |
| 17 | Aerojet Rocketdyne | $76,064 | $36.57 |
| 18 | Gulfstream Aerospace | $74,538 | $35.84 |
| 19 | KBR | $74,032 | $35.59 |
| 20 | Raytheon Technologies | $73,639 | $35.40 |
The average operating systems specialist salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $83,658 | $40.22 |
| 2 | Finance | $82,830 | $39.82 |
| 3 | Health Care | $75,194 | $36.15 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $71,999 | $34.61 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $71,629 | $34.44 |
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.
Compare operating systems specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly 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% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Change Specialist-Health System Operations-Corporate-Days-Hybrid | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $79,720 |
| State of Maine | Systems Operations Specialist | Augusta, ME | 06/12/2025 | $66,952 |
| Transdev Services, Inc. | HR People Operations & Systems Specialist | Phoenix, AZ | 06/10/2025 | $60,000 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Academic Operations & Systems Specialist | Richmond, VA | 05/29/2025 | $57,000 |
| VCU | Academic Operations & Systems Specialist | Richmond, VA | 05/28/2025 | $57,000 |
| Fluent | Systems Operation Specialist (Data Integrity) | New York, NY | 05/21/2025 | $75,000 |
| Transdev Services, Inc. | HR People Operations & Systems Specialist | Phoenix, AZ | 05/10/2025 | $60,000 |
| Transdevna | HR People Operations & Systems Specialist | Phoenix, AZ | 05/08/2025 | $60,000 |
| Peraton | Systems Operations Specialist | Reston, VA | 04/30/2025 | $104,000 |
| Tripadvisor | Principal Systems and Operations Specialist | New York, NY | 04/28/2025 | $90,000 |
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