Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Systems operator salary
Average systems operator salary
$38,182
Average Systems Operator Salary
The average salary for a Systems Operator in the U.S. is approximately $38,182 per year or $18 per hour. These professionals are essential in ensuring the smooth operation of computer systems, which are critical for businesses across various sectors.
Job Opportunities and Salary Variation
Salary can vary significantly based on location, experience, and industry. For example, systems operators in metropolitan areas often earn more than those in rural settings. Additionally, industries such as technology, finance, and healthcare tend to offer higher salaries due to the complex systems they manage.
State and City Comparisons
States like California and New York typically provide the highest salaries for systems operators. Cities such as San Francisco and New York City are known for competitive compensation packages, reflecting the high cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. To better understand the landscape, explore salary averages by state and city on our detailed salary breakdown.
Let Zippia find your next systems operator job
Let Zippia find your next systems operator job
Where can a Systems Operator earn more?
Average systems operator salary by state
The average systems operator salary in California, Connecticut, and Michigan are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average systems operator salary states are Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for systems operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $45,098 | $21.68 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $44,217 | $21.26 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $47,113 | $22.65 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $41,520 | $19.96 |
| 5 | Michigan | $46,295 | $22.26 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $42,909 | $20.63 |
| 7 | Maryland | $43,859 | $21.09 |
| 8 | Virginia | $42,088 | $20.23 |
| 9 | Iowa | $43,518 | $20.92 |
| 10 | Illinois | $44,145 | $21.22 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $42,020 | $20.20 |
| 12 | Colorado | $42,286 | $20.33 |
| 13 | California | $48,185 | $23.17 |
| 14 | Nevada | $38,582 | $18.55 |
| 15 | Washington | $39,918 | $19.19 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $40,891 | $19.66 |
| 17 | Oregon | $39,220 | $18.86 |
| 18 | Texas | $36,672 | $17.63 |
| 19 | Arizona | $36,981 | $17.78 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $36,184 | $17.40 |
| 21 | Maine | $39,334 | $18.91 |
| 22 | Vermont | $37,695 | $18.12 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $41,598 | $20.00 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $37,958 | $18.25 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $36,422 | $17.51 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $34,479 | $16.58 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $36,892 | $17.74 |
| 28 | Florida | $35,313 | $16.98 |
| 29 | Montana | $36,082 | $17.35 |
| 30 | Missouri | $36,598 | $17.60 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $35,082 | $16.87 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $35,291 | $16.97 |
| 33 | Delaware | $36,367 | $17.48 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $32,782 | $15.76 |
| 35 | Ohio | $34,784 | $16.72 |
| 36 | Indiana | $35,568 | $17.10 |
| 37 | New York | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $34,023 | $16.36 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $33,821 | $16.26 |
| 40 | Kansas | $33,939 | $16.32 |
| 41 | Utah | $32,849 | $15.79 |
| 42 | Idaho | $32,762 | $15.75 |
| 43 | Alabama | $33,282 | $16.00 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $33,703 | $16.20 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $31,545 | $15.17 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $32,061 | $15.41 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $33,008 | $15.87 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $32,124 | $15.44 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $31,396 | $15.09 |
| 50 | Georgia | $32,252 | $15.51 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $30,348 | $14.59 |
Highest paying cities for systems operators
The highest-paying cities for systems operators are San Diego, CA, Bethesda, MD, and Nashua, NH.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego, CA | $47,789 | $22.98 |
| 2 | Bethesda, MD | $43,562 | $20.94 |
| 3 | Nashua, NH | $43,194 | $20.77 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $42,252 | $20.31 |
| 5 | Rochester, MN | $41,514 | $19.96 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $40,865 | $19.65 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $38,510 | $18.51 |
| 8 | Rochester, NY | $38,305 | $18.42 |
| 9 | El Paso, TX | $38,144 | $18.34 |
| 10 | Norman, OK | $38,030 | $18.28 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,948 | $17.76 |
| 12 | Lafayette, IN | $35,640 | $17.13 |
| 13 | Tallahassee, FL | $35,566 | $17.10 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $35,089 | $16.87 |
| 15 | Grand Forks, ND | $34,765 | $16.71 |
| 16 | Florence, AL | $32,998 | $15.86 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $32,818 | $15.78 |
| 18 | Laramie, WY | $32,464 | $15.61 |
| 19 | Pocatello, ID | $32,106 | $15.44 |
| 20 | Charleston, SC | $32,086 | $15.43 |
Systems operator salary details
A systems operator's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a systems operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| Average | $38,182 | $3,182 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying systems operator jobs
The highest paying types of systems operators are principal systems engineer, lead systems engineer, and senior unix systems administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Systems Internship | $31,643 | $2,637 | $15.21 | 164,783 |
| Information Systems Technician | $46,346 | $3,862 | $22.28 | 173,424 |
| Technical Systems Engineer | $101,163 | $8,430 | $48.64 | 192,058 |
| Principal Systems Engineer | $133,208 | $11,101 | $64.04 | 146,444 |
| Lead Systems Engineer | $119,705 | $9,975 | $57.55 | 186,392 |
| Systems Support Engineer | $82,561 | $6,880 | $39.69 | 182,434 |
Top companies hiring systems operators now:
Which companies pay systems operators the most?
Systems operator salaries at DC Water and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average systems operator salary at companies like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tech Mahindra are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DC Water | $52,132 | $25.06 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $49,793 | $23.94 |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $49,434 | $23.77 |
| 4 | Tech Mahindra | $48,557 | $23.34 |
| 5 | Tri-State G&T | $47,689 | $22.93 |
| 6 | Tenaska | $46,838 | $22.52 |
| 7 | Schlumberger | $46,583 | $22.40 |
| 8 | J.R. Simplot | $46,571 | $22.39 |
| 9 | Schnitzer Steel | $45,656 | $21.95 |
| 10 | PPG | $45,498 | $21.87 |
| 11 | Business Intelli solutions | $45,219 | $21.74 |
| 12 | Northrop Grumman | $45,160 | $21.71 |
| 13 | Pacifi | $44,716 | $21.50 |
| 14 | United | $44,495 | $21.39 |
| 15 | Aqua | $44,277 | $21.29 |
| 16 | Apple | $43,664 | $20.99 |
| 17 | HSBC Bank | $43,369 | $20.85 |
| 18 | Fluor Corporation | $42,917 | $20.63 |
| 19 | Nashua Country Club | $42,796 | $20.57 |
| 20 | Lockheed Martin | $42,609 | $20.49 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Systems Operator salary by industry
The average systems operator salary varies across industries:
- The average systems operator salary in the finance industry is $38,937, the highest of any industry.
- The average systems operator salary in the finance industry is $38,754.
- Systems operators in the government industry earn an average salary of $35,265, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for systems operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $38,937 | $18.72 |
| 2 | Technology | $38,754 | $18.63 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $38,251 | $18.39 |
| 4 | Retail | $37,458 | $18.01 |
| 5 | Government | $35,265 | $16.95 |
High paying systems operator jobs
Systems operator salary trends
The average systems operator salary has risen by $6,968 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average systems operator earned $31,214 annually, but today, they earn $38,182 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for systems operators over the last decade.
Compare systems operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average systems operator salary over time
Compare systems operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Systems operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,200 | $18.36 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $36,900 | $17.75 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $36,100 | $17.35 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $35,700 | $17.15 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $35,100 | $16.85 | +2.4% |
Recently added systems operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfieldfoods | Label/Vision System Operator | Kinston, NC | 06/30/2025 | $45,810 |
| Symbotic | Automation System Operator | Woodland, CA | 06/30/2025 | $62,610 |
| AEP Service Corporation | System Operator | New Albany, OH | 06/28/2025 | $72,380 |
| Wal-Mart | (USA) .COM Systems Operator | Lumberton, NC | 06/28/2025 | $43,723 |
| City of Westbrook, Me | Systems Operator II | Westbrook, ME | 06/28/2025 | $57,685 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Utility Systems Operator | Des Moines, IA | 06/28/2025 | $58,561 |
| Veolia | Collections System Operator | Holyoke, MA | 06/28/2025 | $48,084 |
| Pwc | TD System Operator Trainee | Fayetteville, NC | 06/27/2025 | $47,229 |
| Veolia North America | Collections System Operator | Holyoke, MA | 06/26/2025 | $48,084 |
| WSP | System Operator | Islandia, NY | 06/26/2025 | $37,800 |
Systems operator salary FAQs
Search for systems operator jobs