How much does an operator make?

The average operator salary in the United States is $37,928. Operator salaries typically range between $27,000 and $53,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for operators is $18.23 per hour. Operator salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Operators earn the highest average salary in North Dakota.

Operator salary

Q: What state pays Operators the most?

North Dakota pays Operators the most in the United States, with an average salary of $49,742 per year, or $23.91 per hour.

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

You know if you are being paid fairly as an operator if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New Jersey you should be paid close to $49,399 per year.

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

A good starting salary for an operator is $24,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an operator in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for operators is $35,479, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an operator can vary by state.

Q: Do heavy equipment operators make good money?

Yes, heavy equipment operators make good money. A heavy equipment operator on average makes $65,500 a year, which is roughly $10,000 higher than the national wage average. A heavy equipment operator can make anywhere between $54,000 and $75,000, with outliers on either side.

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.

Q: Is an interaction designer the same as a UX designer?

No, an interaction designer is not necessarily the same as a UX designer. Although they are often used interchangeably, they generally focus on the overall user experience design process.

Average operator salary

$37,928

$18.23 hourly rate

Entry-level operator salary

$27,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Operator Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for an Operator stands at $37,928 annually. This figure may vary significantly based on factors such as experience, geographic location, and industry. For example, Operators in industries like manufacturing or oil & gas may earn higher than average salaries, reflecting the specialized skills required in these environments.

In addition to base salary, Operators can enhance their income through overtime opportunities and specialized certifications. Operators with several years of experience typically command higher salaries, with starting positions offering lower pay. Moreover, certain states present better compensation packages; for instance, states like California and Texas often provide higher wages compared to others.

Salary Insights by Experience Level

Entry-level Operators may start around $30,000 per year, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $50,000 annually. This growth demonstrates that investing in skill development and gaining certifications can significantly impact long-term earnings.

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Operator salary by:

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Where can an Operator earn more?

Compare salary by location

66k

46k

26k

Columbus, OH$53,920

Kansas City, MO$36,325

Compare salary by company

155k

135k

115k

95k

75k

55k

35k

Microsoft$132,222

Constellation Energy Partners$64,904

Operator salaries by experience level

Operator salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for an operator typically falls between $37,928 and $67,938.

zippia

$37,928yearly

glassdoor[1]

$56,877yearly

indeed[2]

$40,967yearly

Salary.com[3]

$67,938yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$41,886yearly

Average operator salary by state

The highest-paying states for operators are North Dakota, New Jersey, and Washington. The lowest average operator salary states are Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for operators

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Wyoming	$43,951	$21.13
2	Oregon	$46,205	$22.21
3	Minnesota	$43,652	$20.99
4	Washington	$47,937	$23.05
5	North Dakota	$49,742	$23.91
6	Utah	$43,464	$20.90
7	Nevada	$44,769	$21.52
8	Montana	$44,211	$21.26
9	Wisconsin	$40,623	$19.53
10	Idaho	$41,049	$19.74
11	New Jersey	$49,399	$23.75
12	Iowa	$39,062	$18.78
13	Rhode Island	$44,515	$21.40
14	Pennsylvania	$40,907	$19.67
15	New York	$45,663	$21.95
16	Alaska	$47,106	$22.65
17	New Hampshire	$42,498	$20.43
18	Connecticut	$44,639	$21.46
19	California	$46,788	$22.49
20	Massachusetts	$44,151	$21.23
21	West Virginia	$36,858	$17.72
22	Illinois	$40,649	$19.54
23	Colorado	$41,834	$20.11
24	Delaware	$42,299	$20.34
25	New Mexico	$38,743	$18.63
26	Michigan	$37,951	$18.25
27	Indiana	$37,305	$17.94
28	Nebraska	$39,475	$18.98
29	Ohio	$37,025	$17.80
30	Louisiana	$36,142	$17.38
31	Virginia	$39,176	$18.83
32	Maryland	$42,297	$20.34
33	Vermont	$39,996	$19.23
34	South Dakota	$38,313	$18.42
35	Hawaii	$44,481	$21.39
36	Maine	$38,881	$18.69
37	Kentucky	$36,505	$17.55
38	Kansas	$35,985	$17.30
39	Texas	$35,054	$16.85
40	Mississippi	$33,422	$16.07
41	Tennessee	$32,293	$15.53
42	Arizona	$36,980	$17.78
43	Missouri	$35,752	$17.19
44	North Carolina	$33,288	$16.00
45	South Carolina	$31,849	$15.31
46	Georgia	$32,882	$15.81
47	District of Columbia	$39,357	$18.92
48	Oklahoma	$33,390	$16.05
49	Arkansas	$31,928	$15.35
50	Alabama	$31,413	$15.10
51	Florida	$32,778	$15.76

Top operator jobs near you

Highest paying cities for operators

The highest-paying cities for operators are San Jose, CA, Fargo, ND, and Seattle, WA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Jose, CA	$53,920	$25.92
2	Fargo, ND	$49,704	$23.90
3	Seattle, WA	$48,348	$23.24
4	Beaverton, OR	$46,199	$22.21
5	New York, NY	$45,840	$22.04
6	Arlington, MA	$43,866	$21.09
7	Ogden, UT	$43,764	$21.04
8	Minneapolis, MN	$43,708	$21.01
9	Denver, CO	$41,887	$20.14
10	Arlington, VA	$41,883	$20.14
11	Chicago, IL	$40,912	$19.67
12	Sioux City, IA	$39,602	$19.04
13	Portland, ME	$39,189	$18.84
14	Albuquerque, NM	$38,935	$18.72
15	Midland, MI	$38,723	$18.62
16	Lafayette, IN	$37,553	$18.05
17	Florence, KY	$37,453	$18.01
18	Pittsburgh, PA	$37,332	$17.95
19	Phoenix, AZ	$37,119	$17.85
20	Kansas City, MO	$36,325	$17.46

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

Operator salary details

An operator's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $53,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average operator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an operator's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$53,000	$4,417	$25
75th Percentile	$45,000	$3,750	$22
Average	$37,928	$3,161	$18
25th Percentile	$31,000	$2,583	$15
10th Percentile	$27,000	$2,250	$13

Highest paying operator jobs

The highest paying types of operators are foreman/operator, truck operator, and mill operator.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Machine Operator/Forklift Operator	$32,452	$2,704	$15.60	120,073
Equipment Operator/Labour	$33,959	$2,830	$16.33	60,770
Maintenance Operator	$35,420	$2,952	$17.03	142,679
Production Operator	$35,185	$2,932	$16.92	117,254
Equipment Operator	$31,739	$2,645	$15.26	62,473
Forklift Operator	$34,213	$2,851	$16.45	213,020

Top companies hiring operators now:

Which companies pay operators the most?

Operator salaries at Microsoft and Barclays are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average operator salary at companies like Micron Technology and Tradeweb are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Microsoft	$132,222	$63.57
2	Barclays	$115,291	$55.43
3	Micron Technology	$113,398	$54.52
4	Tradeweb	$97,462	$46.86
5	Aera Energy	$93,092	$44.76
6	American Water	$91,217	$43.85
7	Duquesne Light Company	$83,747	$40.26
8	Citi	$81,080	$38.98
9	Tata Group	$78,434	$37.71
10	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$74,592	$35.86
11	Covanta	$73,861	$35.51
12	Argonne National Laboratory	$70,780	$34.03
13	Arizona Public Service	$70,344	$33.82
14	Cognizant	$69,994	$33.65
15	Aqua	$67,689	$32.54
16	Battelle	$67,580	$32.49
17	HCL Technologies	$66,109	$31.78
18	National Grid plc	$65,690	$31.58
19	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$65,595	$31.54
20	Constellation Energy Partners	$64,904	$31.20

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$39,000$38,600$38,200$37,800$37,400$37,000

MaleFemale

Operator salary by industry

The average operator salary varies across industries:

The average operator salary in the technology industry is $41,321, the highest of any industry.
The average operator salary in the finance industry is $40,830.
Operators in the retail industry earn an average salary of $33,797, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for operators

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Technology	$41,321	$19.87
2	Construction	$40,830	$19.63
3	Energy	$40,091	$19.27
4	Automotive	$39,462	$18.97
5	Transportation	$36,633	$17.61
6	Manufacturing	$36,355	$17.48
7	Retail	$33,797	$16.25

High paying operator jobs

Operator salary trends

The average operator salary has risen by $7,624 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average operator earned $30,304 annually, but today, they earn $37,928 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for operators over the last decade.

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

Average operator salary over time

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

Operator salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$37,900	$18.23	+3.6%
2024	$36,600	$17.57	+4.0%
2023	$35,100	$16.87	+3.2%
2022	$34,000	$16.33	+3.5%
2021	$32,800	$15.76	+1.1%

Recently added operator salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Tate & Lyle	Sanitation Operator	Sycamore, IL	06/30/2025	$46,394
Apltd Branding	Operator	Bismarck, ND	06/30/2025	$97,066
Verus	Deburr Operator	Torrance, CA	06/29/2025	$35,479
Nothing Bundt Cakes	Bakery Operator	Waterloo, IA	06/29/2025	$50,000
Resonetics	Operator II	Hutchinson, MN	06/29/2025	$40,697
Accredo Packaging, Inc.	Pouching Operator	Sugar Land, TX	06/29/2025	$29,218
GAF Buildings Materials Corp. of America	Rewrap Operator	Michigan City, IN	06/29/2025	$49,963
Isonovatech	Operator-Days-Competitive Wages at	Spencer, IA	06/29/2025	$41,740
Job Listingsallied Universal	Gsoc Operator	Frisco, TX	06/29/2025	$47,291
Naniq Global Logistics-Lihue	Ramp GSE Operator	Lihue, HI	06/29/2025	$48,001