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Senior lead operator salary
Average senior lead operator salary
$68,921
Understanding Senior Lead Operator Salaries
The average salary for a Senior Lead Operator as of October 2025 is $68,921 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, Senior Lead Operators in high-demand areas often see higher compensation due to market competition.
Where Do Senior Lead Operators Earn The Most?
Analyzing data reveals that certain states offer considerably higher salaries. States like California and Texas rank among the top for Senior Lead Operator positions, with average salaries reaching upwards of $75,000. In addition, cities such as San Francisco and Houston frequently report elevated pay scales. This trend underscores the importance of location in salary negotiation.
Job Opportunities
As industries evolve, the demand for skilled Senior Lead Operators continues to grow. Many organizations seek professionals who can enhance operational effectiveness while ensuring compliance with safety standards. This role not only provides competitive pay but also offers substantial career advancement opportunities.
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Where can a Senior Lead Operator earn more?
Average senior lead operator salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior lead operators are California, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii. The lowest average senior lead operator salary states are Kentucky, Iowa, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior lead operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $84,787 | $40.76 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $84,431 | $40.59 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $79,268 | $38.11 |
| 4 | California | $90,893 | $43.70 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $88,262 | $42.43 |
| 6 | Texas | $77,405 | $37.21 |
| 7 | Arizona | $73,166 | $35.18 |
| 8 | New York | $79,633 | $38.29 |
| 9 | Alaska | $70,277 | $33.79 |
| 10 | Michigan | $68,487 | $32.93 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $87,723 | $42.17 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $68,328 | $32.85 |
| 13 | Maryland | $73,350 | $35.26 |
| 14 | Delaware | $72,260 | $34.74 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $75,123 | $36.12 |
| 16 | Ohio | $72,797 | $35.00 |
| 17 | Virginia | $71,433 | $34.34 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $69,315 | $33.32 |
| 19 | Washington | $74,725 | $35.93 |
| 20 | Idaho | $61,286 | $29.46 |
| 21 | Oregon | $71,094 | $34.18 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $70,704 | $33.99 |
| 23 | Florida | $67,524 | $32.46 |
| 24 | Indiana | $62,989 | $30.28 |
| 25 | Utah | $60,303 | $28.99 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $63,836 | $30.69 |
| 27 | Illinois | $62,603 | $30.10 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $58,508 | $28.13 |
| 29 | Kansas | $57,523 | $27.66 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $61,693 | $29.66 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $54,583 | $26.24 |
| 32 | Maine | $58,660 | $28.20 |
| 33 | Georgia | $61,395 | $29.52 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $59,974 | $28.83 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $56,076 | $26.96 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $51,190 | $24.61 |
| 37 | Montana | $50,768 | $24.41 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $49,805 | $23.94 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $55,199 | $26.54 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $50,597 | $24.33 |
| 41 | Vermont | $56,659 | $27.24 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $53,106 | $25.53 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $52,671 | $25.32 |
| 44 | Iowa | $49,380 | $23.74 |
| 45 | Alabama | $52,550 | $25.26 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $49,690 | $23.89 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $45,102 | $21.68 |
| 48 | Colorado | $51,899 | $24.95 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $49,129 | $23.62 |
| 50 | Missouri | $49,258 | $23.68 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $47,820 | $22.99 |
Highest paying cities for senior lead operators
The highest-paying cities for senior lead operators are San Francisco, CA, Harrisburg, PA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $101,551 | $48.82 |
| 2 | Harrisburg, PA | $87,216 | $41.93 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $80,055 | $38.49 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $78,976 | $37.97 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $78,261 | $37.63 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $76,653 | $36.85 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $75,997 | $36.54 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $75,175 | $36.14 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $73,929 | $35.54 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $73,427 | $35.30 |
| 11 | McLean, VA | $73,305 | $35.24 |
| 12 | Newark, DE | $72,309 | $34.76 |
| 13 | Hartford, CT | $69,051 | $33.20 |
| 14 | Doral, FL | $68,828 | $33.09 |
| 15 | Grand Rapids, MI | $65,321 | $31.40 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $63,187 | $30.38 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $60,736 | $29.20 |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $55,213 | $26.54 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | $54,373 | $26.14 |
| 20 | Milwaukee, WI | $53,120 | $25.54 |
Senior lead operator salary details
A senior lead operator's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior lead operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| Average | $68,921 | $5,743 | $33 |
| 25th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying senior lead operator jobs
The highest paying types of senior lead operators are head operator, senior advisor, and principal consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Development Internship | $33,146 | $2,762 | $15.94 | 147,302 |
| Business Development Consultant | $85,153 | $7,096 | $40.94 | 168,111 |
| Business Internship | $35,282 | $2,940 | $16.96 | 97,196 |
| Principal Consultant | $116,478 | $9,706 | $56.00 | 143,753 |
| Business Developer | $101,635 | $8,470 | $48.86 | 193,469 |
| Contractor/Consultant | $84,811 | $7,068 | $40.77 | 64,573 |
Top companies hiring senior lead operators now:
Which companies pay senior lead operators the most?
Senior lead operator salaries at Google and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior lead operator salary at companies like NTUA and Citi are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $175,414 | $84.33 | |
| 2 | Apple | $168,037 | $80.79 |
| 3 | NTUA | $135,876 | $65.33 |
| 4 | Citi | $129,338 | $62.18 |
| 5 | Cisco | $126,098 | $60.62 |
| 6 | RH | $114,327 | $54.96 |
| 7 | Majesco | $112,120 | $53.90 |
| 8 | Akamai Technologies | $111,543 | $53.63 |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $107,372 | $51.62 |
| 10 | Salient CRGT | $106,988 | $51.44 |
| 11 | MITRE | $103,902 | $49.95 |
| 12 | The Aerospace Corporation | $100,856 | $48.49 |
| 13 | Techtronic Industries TTI | $100,591 | $48.36 |
| 14 | Morgan Stanley | $99,562 | $47.87 |
| 15 | GlobalFoundries | $99,416 | $47.80 |
| 16 | Brillio | $97,172 | $46.72 |
| 17 | Splunk | $94,300 | $45.34 |
| 18 | Synechron | $93,188 | $44.80 |
| 19 | Edward Jones | $91,636 | $44.06 |
| 20 | Wells Fargo | $90,891 | $43.70 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior lead operator salary trends
The average senior lead operator salary has risen by $10,144 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior lead operator earned $58,777 annually, but today, they earn $68,921 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for senior lead operators over the last decade.
Compare senior lead operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior lead operator salary over time
Compare senior lead operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior lead operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $68,900 | $33.14 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | $66,300 | $31.87 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $64,700 | $31.13 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | $64,300 | $30.90 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $63,400 | $30.47 | +1.3% |
Recently added senior lead operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. | SR. Lead Operator (Swing Shift) | Boulder, CO | 06/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Maryland Environmental Service | Operator-In-Training-Senior Lead Operator | Jessup, MD | 06/20/2025 | $38,220 |
| Citigroup Inc. | Senior Risk and Controls Governance Committee Lead-Operational Risk Management/Project Management | Wilmington, DE | 06/10/2025 | $156,160 |
| Citigroup Inc. | Senior Risk and Controls Governance Committee Lead-Operational Risk Management/Project Management | Tampa, FL | 06/10/2025 | $156,160 |
| Pagaya | Senior Lead, Operational Risk | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $160,000 |
| Wework | Senior Lead, Operations Data and Analysis | New York, NY | 05/25/2025 | $88,500 |
| Kenvue Brands LLC | NA Tech OPS Senior Packaging Lead | Summit, NJ | 05/22/2025 | $152,000 |
| Kenvue Inc. | NA Tech OPS Senior Packaging Lead | Summit, NJ | 05/22/2025 | $152,000 |
| New York Life | Senior Associate-Lead Management Operations | New York, NY | 05/17/2025 | $77,500 |
| Maryland Environmental Service | Operator-In-Training-Senior Lead Operator | Jessup, MD | 05/12/2025 | $38,220 |
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