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The average salary for an Operations System Administrator is approximately $76,891 annually, translating to about $37 per hour. Salaries for this role can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, experienced administrators in technology-centric cities often earn higher wages compared to those in less tech-focused areas.
When examining salaries by state, locations such as California and New York consistently rank among the highest, offering competitive wages to attract top talent. Conversely, states with lower living costs may offer reduced salaries, reflecting the local market demands.
As an Operations System Administrator, opportunities for advancement abound. Gaining specialized certifications or transitioning into managerial roles can lead to significant salary increases. Additionally, industries like finance and healthcare often provide higher compensation compared to others, making them appealing sectors for career growth.
By staying informed about salary trends and industry demands, aspiring Operations System Administrators can strategically navigate their careers and enhance their earning potential.
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The average operations system administrator salary in California, Massachusetts, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average operations system administrator salary states are Indiana, Louisiana, and Alaska.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $85,778 | $41.24 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $80,162 | $38.54 |
| 3 | Idaho | $79,909 | $38.42 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $91,329 | $43.91 |
| 5 | Maryland | $85,909 | $41.30 |
| 6 | California | $98,820 | $47.51 |
| 7 | Ohio | $75,879 | $36.48 |
| 8 | Utah | $80,085 | $38.50 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $76,202 | $36.64 |
| 10 | Michigan | $75,598 | $36.35 |
| 11 | Delaware | $84,441 | $40.60 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $73,439 | $35.31 |
| 13 | Arizona | $79,141 | $38.05 |
| 14 | Washington | $83,873 | $40.32 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $73,616 | $35.39 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $73,703 | $35.43 |
| 17 | Alabama | $73,139 | $35.16 |
| 18 | Oregon | $81,345 | $39.11 |
| 19 | Vermont | $80,423 | $38.66 |
| 20 | Virginia | $78,501 | $37.74 |
| 21 | Maine | $73,276 | $35.23 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $71,714 | $34.48 |
| 23 | Georgia | $72,587 | $34.90 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $72,141 | $34.68 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $76,068 | $36.57 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $71,725 | $34.48 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $78,816 | $37.89 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $71,108 | $34.19 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $70,520 | $33.90 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $77,886 | $37.45 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $78,683 | $37.83 |
| 32 | Texas | $68,276 | $32.83 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $67,456 | $32.43 |
| 34 | Missouri | $69,705 | $33.51 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,274 | $32.82 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $70,625 | $33.95 |
| 37 | Florida | $66,251 | $31.85 |
| 38 | Kansas | $67,983 | $32.68 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $72,570 | $34.89 |
| 40 | Alaska | $63,895 | $30.72 |
| 41 | Montana | $65,678 | $31.58 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $68,321 | $32.85 |
| 43 | Illinois | $71,108 | $34.19 |
| 44 | Indiana | $65,029 | $31.26 |
| 45 | New York | $72,008 | $34.62 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $63,452 | $30.51 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $60,262 | $28.97 |
| 48 | Iowa | $65,805 | $31.64 |
| 49 | Colorado | $68,468 | $32.92 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $64,496 | $31.01 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $61,549 | $29.59 |
The highest-paying cities for operations system administrators are San Francisco, CA, Springfield, MA, and Wilmington, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $105,184 | $50.57 |
| 2 | Springfield, MA | $91,485 | $43.98 |
| 3 | Wilmington, DE | $84,548 | $40.65 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $84,100 | $40.43 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $79,341 | $38.14 |
| 6 | McLean, VA | $79,230 | $38.09 |
| 7 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $78,661 | $37.82 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | $77,013 | $37.03 |
| 9 | East Providence, RI | $76,076 | $36.58 |
| 10 | Owatonna, MN | $75,886 | $36.48 |
| 11 | Kennesaw, GA | $72,935 | $35.06 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $72,233 | $34.73 |
| 13 | Boulder, CO | $68,588 | $32.98 |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | $68,506 | $32.94 |
| 15 | Durham, NC | $68,431 | $32.90 |
| 16 | Jacksonville, FL | $67,638 | $32.52 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | $63,472 | $30.52 |
An operations system administrator's salary ranges from $59,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| Average | $76,891 | $6,408 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
The highest paying types of operations system administrators are senior administrator, systems administrator lead, and senior system administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network/Server Administrator | $78,919 | $6,577 | $37.94 | 167,546 |
| LAN Administrator | $60,942 | $5,079 | $29.30 | 92,931 |
| Network Administrator | $71,357 | $5,946 | $34.31 | 106,886 |
| Web Administrator | $76,146 | $6,345 | $36.61 | 60,809 |
| Help Desk Administrator | $49,798 | $4,150 | $23.94 | 130,180 |
| Linux Administrator | $79,996 | $6,666 | $38.46 | 56,604 |
Top companies hiring operations system administrators now:
Operations system administrator salaries at PayPal and Verisign are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average operations system administrator salary at companies like Santander Bank and Santander Private Banking International are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PayPal | $128,559 | $61.81 |
| 2 | Verisign | $113,013 | $54.33 |
| 3 | Santander Bank | $109,070 | $52.44 |
| 4 | Santander Private Banking International | $105,764 | $50.85 |
| 5 | Zoetis | $105,271 | $50.61 |
| 6 | Citrix | $104,864 | $50.42 |
| 7 | State Street | $99,450 | $47.81 |
| 8 | DreamWorks Animation | $98,214 | $47.22 |
| 9 | Broadcom | $97,995 | $47.11 |
| 10 | RTI International Metals | $86,688 | $41.68 |
| 11 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $85,480 | $41.10 |
| 12 | University of California-Berkeley | $83,367 | $40.08 |
| 13 | Sherwin-Williams | $82,159 | $39.50 |
| 14 | Kavaliro | $81,843 | $39.35 |
| 15 | MassMutual | $81,519 | $39.19 |
| 16 | Susquehanna International Group | $81,162 | $39.02 |
| 17 | Modis | $80,352 | $38.63 |
| 18 | Expeditors | $79,650 | $38.29 |
| 19 | Sentar | $79,385 | $38.17 |
| 20 | Tribalco | $78,435 | $37.71 |
The average operations system administrator salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $102,945 | $49.49 |
| 2 | Finance | $92,764 | $44.60 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $82,397 | $39.61 |
| 4 | Health Care | $80,596 | $38.75 |
| 5 | Technology | $79,864 | $38.40 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $79,444 | $38.19 |
The average operations system administrator salary has risen by $14,031 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average operations system administrator earned $62,860 annually, but today, they earn $76,891 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for operations system administrators over the last decade.
Compare operations system administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare operations system administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $76,900 | $36.97 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $74,400 | $35.75 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $72,700 | $34.94 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $71,800 | $34.53 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $70,600 | $33.94 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo Drafthouse Phoenix | System Administrator, Operations Services | Austin, TX | 06/26/2025 | $60,210 |
| Starz Entertainment | Content Operations Systems Administrator | Greenwood Village, CO | 06/21/2025 | $85,000 |
| Noblis, Inc. | System Operations/Administrator (Multiple Levels) | Chantilly, VA | 05/29/2025 | $117,800 |
| Guild Mortgage | IT OPS Systems Administrator | San Diego, CA | 05/21/2025 | $80,000 |
| Guild Holdings Company | IT OPS Systems Administrator | San Diego, CA | 05/20/2025 | $80,000 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | AWS Cloud Systems Operations Administrator | San Antonio, TX | 05/15/2025 | $99,000 |
| Nbcuniversal | Dreamworks Technology-Systems Administrator, Operation | Glendale, CA | 04/28/2025 | $70,000 |
| EY | Government and Public Sector-Operations and Systems Administrator II (1592403) | McLean, VA | 03/23/2025 | $121,700 |
| Noblis, Inc. | System Operations/Administrator (Multiple Levels) | Chantilly, VA | 03/22/2025 | $97,400 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | AWS Cloud Systems Operations Administrator, Senior | San Antonio, TX | 03/21/2025 | $96,700 |
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