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Operator salary
Average operator salary
$37,928
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.
Where can an Operator earn more?
Operator
Operator salary estimates from across the web
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
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 |
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.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerotek | Semiconductor-Fab Operator | Hillsboro, OR | 12/18/2024 | $37,566 |
| Automation Personnel Services | Bandsaw Operator | Pelham, AL | 12/17/2024 | $33,392 |
| Aventure Staffing | Operator | Ireton, IA | 12/17/2024 | $38,610 |
| Bunge | Operator I | Red Oak, IA | 12/16/2024 | $42,470 |
| Marathon Petroleum LP | Operator | Martinez, CA | 12/16/2024 | $102,367 |
| Badger Daylighting | Hydrovac Operator | Salt Lake City, UT | 12/16/2024 | $59,480 |
| Badger Daylighting | Cctv Operator | Jacksonville Beach, FL | 12/16/2024 | $50,088 |
| Badger Daylighting | Hydrovac Operator | Conway, AR | 12/16/2024 | $62,610 |
| Badger Daylighting | Hydrovac Operator | Hobbs, NM | 12/16/2024 | $56,349 |
| Badger Daylighting | Hydrovac Operator | Nashville, TN | 12/16/2024 | $62,610 |
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