How much does a station operator make?

The average station operator salary in the United States is $37,124. Station operator salaries typically range between $25,000 and $54,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for station operators is $17.85 per hour. Station operator salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Station operators earn the highest average salary in Washington.

Station operator salary

Q: What state pays Station Operators the most?

Washington pays Station Operators the most in the United States, with an average salary of $43,391 per year, or $20.86 per hour.

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

You know if you are being paid fairly as a station operator if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $43,188 per year.

Average station operator salary

$37,124

$17.85 hourly rate

Entry-level station operator salary

$25,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Station Operator Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Station Operator in the U.S. is approximately $37,124 per year. This figure can significantly vary based on factors such as location, industry, and individual experience. For instance, Station Operators in metropolitan areas often earn more than those in rural settings.

In addition to geographical differences, the industry plays a crucial role in shaping salaries. Operators in sectors like transportation and utilities tend to earn higher wages compared to those in less specialized fields. Furthermore, as experience increases, so does earning potential, with seasoned operators commanding higher salaries.

Regional Salary Insights

Some states and cities offer better pay for Station Operators. For example, urban centers with high demand for skilled labor often provide competitive compensation packages. Exploring these regional differences can help job seekers target areas with better opportunities.

Conclusion

Ultimately, understanding the salary landscape for Station Operators allows prospective employees to make informed decisions about their career paths. By considering location, industry, and experience, individuals can position themselves for success in this essential role.

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Where can a Station Operator earn more?

Compare salary by location

65k

45k

25k

Columbus, OH$43,314

New Orleans, LA$35,354

Compare salary by company

64k

44k

24k

Nebraska Public Power District$49,715

Hitachi U.S.A.$34,099

Average station operator salary by state

The highest-paying states for station operators are Washington, California, and Oregon. The lowest average station operator salary states are Colorado, Kentucky, and Missouri.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for station operators

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Iowa	$41,858	$20.12
2	Michigan	$41,510	$19.96
3	Washington	$43,391	$20.86
4	Indiana	$40,245	$19.35
5	New Jersey	$43,052	$20.70
6	Pennsylvania	$41,486	$19.95
7	Minnesota	$41,924	$20.16
8	Wisconsin	$41,489	$19.95
9	Kansas	$40,468	$19.46
10	Illinois	$42,184	$20.28
11	New York	$42,988	$20.67
12	Oregon	$43,180	$20.76
13	Idaho	$41,954	$20.17
14	Alaska	$42,583	$20.47
15	Arizona	$40,250	$19.35
16	Texas	$38,804	$18.66
17	Tennessee	$38,440	$18.48
18	Oklahoma	$38,631	$18.57
19	Nevada	$37,980	$18.26
20	Wyoming	$40,494	$19.47
21	Maine	$40,252	$19.35
22	Montana	$38,701	$18.61
23	Rhode Island	$37,741	$18.14
24	South Dakota	$37,717	$18.13
25	Hawaii	$39,062	$18.78
26	Arkansas	$38,365	$18.44
27	New Mexico	$39,458	$18.97
28	California	$43,188	$20.76
29	Ohio	$37,372	$17.97
30	West Virginia	$36,901	$17.74
31	Alabama	$38,069	$18.30
32	North Carolina	$38,522	$18.52
33	Virginia	$40,148	$19.30
34	North Dakota	$38,949	$18.73
35	Massachusetts	$37,374	$17.97
36	District of Columbia	$37,638	$18.10
37	Vermont	$37,161	$17.87
38	Nebraska	$36,449	$17.52
39	Connecticut	$37,981	$18.26
40	Florida	$37,785	$18.17
41	Georgia	$37,984	$18.26
42	Utah	$37,226	$17.90
43	Kentucky	$35,997	$17.31
44	Missouri	$35,748	$17.19
45	Mississippi	$34,902	$16.78
46	Maryland	$37,785	$18.17
47	Delaware	$38,032	$18.28
48	New Hampshire	$37,186	$17.88
49	Colorado	$36,339	$17.47
50	Louisiana	$35,343	$16.99
51	South Carolina	$34,950	$16.80

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Highest paying cities for station operators

The highest-paying cities for station operators are Vancouver, WA, Egg Harbor, NJ, and Los Angeles, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Vancouver, WA	$43,314	$20.82
2	Egg Harbor, NJ	$42,935	$20.64
3	Los Angeles, CA	$42,831	$20.59
4	Saint Clair Shores, MI	$41,547	$19.97
5	Madison, WI	$41,396	$19.90
6	Tucson, AZ	$40,035	$19.25
7	Las Cruces, NM	$39,498	$18.99
8	Pearl City, HI	$39,133	$18.81
9	Edinburg, TX	$39,029	$18.76
10	Charlotte, NC	$38,365	$18.44
11	Davie, FL	$37,624	$18.09
12	Saint Louis, MO	$35,794	$17.21
13	New Orleans, LA	$35,354	$17.00

Station operator salary details

A station operator's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $54,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average station operator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a station operator's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$54,000	$4,500	$26
75th Percentile	$45,000	$3,750	$22
Average	$37,124	$3,094	$18
25th Percentile	$30,000	$2,500	$14
10th Percentile	$25,000	$2,083	$12

Highest paying station operator jobs

The highest paying types of station operators are gas engineer, pumping station engineer, and gas cylinder processor.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Gas Engineer	$94,427	$7,869	$45.40	4,086
Operator	$37,928	$3,161	$18.23	159,077

Top companies hiring station operators now:

Which companies pay station operators the most?

Station operator salaries at Nebraska Public Power District and City of Los Angeles are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average station operator salary at companies like Church & Dwight Co. and The University of Texas at San Antonio are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Nebraska Public Power District	$49,715	$23.90
2	City of Los Angeles	$47,704	$22.93
3	Church & Dwight Co.	$47,415	$22.80
4	The University of Texas at San Antonio	$46,612	$22.41
5	Enbridge	$44,362	$21.33
6	University of Wisconsin System	$42,762	$20.56
7	Energy Transfer	$41,316	$19.86
8	City of Las Cruces Government	$40,094	$19.28
9	St. Louis	$38,902	$18.70
10	Badger Daylighting	$38,621	$18.57
11	American Water	$38,584	$18.55
12	UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	$38,532	$18.52
13	Bering Straits	$37,327	$17.95
14	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$37,133	$17.85
15	Greif	$36,999	$17.79
16	Amazon	$36,422	$17.51
17	Macomb County	$36,264	$17.43
18	Town of Davie, FL	$35,490	$17.06
19	National Fuel Gas	$34,301	$16.49
20	Hitachi U.S.A.	$34,099	$16.39

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$41,000$40,600$40,200$39,800$39,400$39,000

MaleFemale

Station Operator salary by industry

The average station operator salary varies across industries:

The average station operator salary in the utilities industry is $43,836, the highest of any industry.
The average station operator salary in the finance industry is $39,802.
Station operators in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $32,954, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for station operators

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Utilities	$43,836	$21.07
2	Manufacturing	$39,802	$19.14
3	Government	$38,909	$18.71
4	Energy	$37,729	$18.14
5	Technology	$36,341	$17.47
6	Telecommunication	$34,921	$16.79
7	Transportation	$32,954	$15.84

High paying station operator jobs

Station operator salary trends

The average station operator salary has risen by $8,427 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average station operator earned $28,697 annually, but today, they earn $37,124 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for station operators over the last decade.

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

Average station operator salary over time

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

Station operator salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$37,100	$17.85	+2.5%
2024	$36,200	$17.41	+1.4%
2023	$35,700	$17.16	+3.7%
2022	$34,400	$16.52	+3.7%
2021	$33,100	$15.91	+3.5%

Recently added station operator salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
University of Texas at Austin	Utilities Station Operator I	Austin, TX	06/28/2025	$55,000
City of Burlington, Vt	Station Operator	Ontario, CA	06/28/2025	$57,142
Hitachi	Senior Station Operator (S)	Pearl City, HI	06/19/2025	$59,292
Mrs Gerrys Kitchen LLC	Manufacturing-1St. Shift Mix Station Operator	Albert Lea, MN	06/19/2025	$49,045
Polk County	Solid Waste.Transfer Station Operator	Winter Haven, FL	06/10/2025	$43,472
University of Texas at Austin	Utilities Station Operator I	Austin, TX	05/29/2025	$55,000
City of Burlington, Vt	Senior Station Operator	Ontario, CA	05/29/2025	$58,916
Mrs Gerrys Kitchen LLC	Manufacturing-2Nd Shift Mix Station Operator	Albert Lea, MN	05/26/2025	$49,879
City of Los Angeles	Electric Station Operator 5224	Los Angeles, CA	05/21/2025	$73,977
Polk County	Solid Waste.Transfer Station Operator	Winter Haven, FL	04/28/2025	$43,472

Station operator salary FAQs

What state pays Station Operators the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a station operator?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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