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As of October 2025, the average salary for a Senior Operations Engineer is approximately $112,583 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on location, experience, and the specific industry. For example, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in these areas.
Senior Operations Engineers can enhance their salary prospects by targeting industries with higher compensation rates. The technology and manufacturing sectors frequently pay more, reflecting the critical nature of operational efficiency in these fields. Additionally, pursuing advanced certifications or specialized training can further increase earning potential.
Various salary estimates suggest that Senior Operations Engineers in some metropolitan areas can earn upwards of $130,000 annually. Websites like Glassdoor and Payscale provide tools to compare salaries based on specific job titles and locations, helping professionals make informed career decisions.
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The highest-paying states for senior operations engineers are California, Nevada, and Oregon. The lowest average senior operations engineer salary states are Iowa, Missouri, and Tennessee.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $116,089 | $55.81 |
| 2 | Oregon | $114,618 | $55.10 |
| 3 | Washington | $113,541 | $54.59 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $109,699 | $52.74 |
| 5 | California | $129,695 | $62.35 |
| 6 | Virginia | $109,085 | $52.44 |
| 7 | Texas | $105,542 | $50.74 |
| 8 | Ohio | $107,205 | $51.54 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $112,706 | $54.19 |
| 10 | Arizona | $112,430 | $54.05 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $108,864 | $52.34 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $103,084 | $49.56 |
| 13 | Vermont | $111,182 | $53.45 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $110,500 | $53.13 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $101,040 | $48.58 |
| 16 | Utah | $106,059 | $50.99 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $106,590 | $51.25 |
| 18 | Idaho | $104,508 | $50.24 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $110,723 | $53.23 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $111,829 | $53.76 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $100,642 | $48.39 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $101,606 | $48.85 |
| 23 | Maine | $101,131 | $48.62 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $99,735 | $47.95 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $110,494 | $53.12 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $97,843 | $47.04 |
| 27 | Georgia | $99,459 | $47.82 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $95,905 | $46.11 |
| 29 | Michigan | $99,168 | $47.68 |
| 30 | Delaware | $106,699 | $51.30 |
| 31 | Maryland | $99,286 | $47.73 |
| 32 | New York | $107,365 | $51.62 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $101,851 | $48.97 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $97,509 | $46.88 |
| 35 | Florida | $96,193 | $46.25 |
| 36 | Illinois | $95,873 | $46.09 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $93,142 | $44.78 |
| 38 | Indiana | $93,114 | $44.77 |
| 39 | Kansas | $95,032 | $45.69 |
| 40 | Colorado | $94,142 | $45.26 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $95,774 | $46.05 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $93,274 | $44.84 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $102,121 | $49.10 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $95,212 | $45.77 |
| 45 | Alabama | $88,199 | $42.40 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $93,019 | $44.72 |
| 47 | Alaska | $87,639 | $42.13 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $89,451 | $43.01 |
| 49 | Montana | $84,942 | $40.84 |
| 50 | Iowa | $91,813 | $44.14 |
| 51 | Missouri | $89,947 | $43.24 |
The highest-paying cities for senior operations engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $136,031 | $65.40 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $114,247 | $54.93 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $112,767 | $54.21 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $112,610 | $54.14 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $110,737 | $53.24 |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | $110,660 | $53.20 |
| 7 | Mahwah, NJ | $110,534 | $53.14 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $109,938 | $52.85 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $107,627 | $51.74 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $107,108 | $51.49 |
| 11 | Johns Creek, GA | $99,698 | $47.93 |
| 12 | Taylor, MI | $99,452 | $47.81 |
| 13 | Omaha, NE | $98,076 | $47.15 |
| 14 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $96,548 | $46.42 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $96,354 | $46.32 |
| 16 | Colorado Springs, CO | $94,552 | $45.46 |
| 17 | Saint Paul, MN | $93,200 | $44.81 |
| 18 | OFallon, MO | $90,562 | $43.54 |
A senior operations engineer's salary ranges from $82,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $153,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $153,000 | $12,750 | $74 |
| 75th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| Average | $112,583 | $9,382 | $54 |
| 25th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 10th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
The highest paying types of senior operations engineers are principal software engineer, principal systems engineer, and senior principal engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Software Engineer | $134,230 | $11,186 | $64.53 | 345,893 |
| Principal Systems Engineer | $133,208 | $11,101 | $64.04 | 146,444 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Network Security Engineer | $88,322 | $7,360 | $42.46 | 91,892 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Network Engineer | $83,557 | $6,963 | $40.17 | 72,346 |
Top companies hiring senior operations engineers now:
Senior operations engineer salaries at Apple and eBay are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior operations engineer salary at companies like Atlassian and Box are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $151,858 | $73.01 |
| 2 | eBay | $146,253 | $70.31 |
| 3 | Atlassian | $142,574 | $68.55 |
| 4 | Box | $141,390 | $67.98 |
| 5 | DocuSign | $141,325 | $67.94 |
| 6 | RichRelevance | $141,107 | $67.84 |
| 7 | Sprinklr | $139,845 | $67.23 |
| 8 | Epsilon | $139,408 | $67.02 |
| 9 | Cruise Automation | $138,865 | $66.76 |
| 10 | Cohen & Steers | $137,414 | $66.06 |
| 11 | RingCentral | $135,448 | $65.12 |
| 12 | AARP | $132,903 | $63.90 |
| 13 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $132,411 | $63.66 |
| 14 | CyberCoders | $132,292 | $63.60 |
| 15 | Duolingo | $131,968 | $63.45 |
| 16 | Automation Anywhere | $131,965 | $63.44 |
| 17 | Santander Private Banking International | $131,724 | $63.33 |
| 18 | H-E-B | $131,546 | $63.24 |
| 19 | Microsoft | $131,525 | $63.23 |
| 20 | Amazon | $131,170 | $63.06 |
The average senior operations engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $120,362 | $57.87 |
| 2 | Transportation | $120,254 | $57.81 |
| 3 | Technology | $115,208 | $55.39 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $114,522 | $55.06 |
| 5 | Finance | $114,195 | $54.90 |
| 6 | Telecommunication | $103,514 | $49.77 |
| 7 | Professional | $80,617 | $38.76 |
The average senior operations engineer salary has risen by $20,544 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior operations engineer earned $92,039 annually, but today, they earn $112,583 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for senior operations engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior operations engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior operations engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $113,000 | $54.13 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $109,000 | $52.34 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $106,000 | $51.16 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $105,000 | $50.57 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $103,000 | $49.69 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Senior Flight Deck Crew Operations Engineer | Everett, WA | 06/30/2025 | $128,350 |
| Target | Senior Engineer-Operations Innovation | Brooklyn Park, MN | 06/30/2025 | $95,000 |
| Lytx | Senior Machine Learning Operation Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/30/2025 | $179,500 |
| Bass Pro Shops | Senior Engineer-Cybersecurity Operations & Engineering | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $114,665 |
| Relativity | Senior Launch Operations Engineer (Integration) | Cape Canaveral, FL | 06/29/2025 | $133,000 |
| Zoox | Senior Technical Operations Engineer | Foster City, CA | 06/29/2025 | $185,000 |
| Ual-Pro | Senior Engineer-Cybersecurity Operations & Engineering | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $114,665 |
| Dish Network | Senior 911 Operations Network Engineer | Littleton, CO | 06/27/2025 | $96,250 |
| Iteris | SR. Engineer, Traffic Operations | Richmond, VA | 06/27/2025 | $108,500 |
| Boeing | Senior Flight Deck Crew Operations Engineer | Everett, WA | 06/26/2025 | $128,350 |
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