Gaffer Salary in the United States

How much does a Gaffer make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Gaffer in the United States is $141,792 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $68.

However, a Gaffer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $164,966
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $128,296 to $153,922
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $116,009
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View as table View as graph 25% $128,296 10% $116,009 90% $164,966 75% $153,922 $141,792 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Gaffer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $153,922 $12,827 $2,960 $74
Average $141,792 $11,816 $2,727 $68
25th Percentile $128,296 $10,691 $2,467 $62
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Key Factors That Influence Gaffer Salaries

A Gaffer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Gaffer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Gaffer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $96,778
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $122,065
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $144,604
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $171,800
  • Expert (over 8 years): $188,443
Levels Salary
Electrica... Level Gaffer$96,778
Electrica... Level Gaffer$122,065
Gaffer Level Gaffer$144,604
Electrica... Level Gaffer$171,800
Electrica... Level Gaffer$188,443
$96,778 0 yr
$122,065 < 2 yrs
$144,604 2-4 yrs
$171,800 5-8 yrs
$188,443 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Gaffers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $178,842
  • San Francisco: $177,084
  • Oakland: $173,156

What Skills Can Increase a Gaffer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.77% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.92% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
  • Performance Review (Mentioned in 1.92% Job Postings): Assessing employee performance and identifying strengths and weaknesses to promote communication and provide constructive performance feedback.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.77%
Continuous Improvement 1.92%
Performance Review 1.92%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Gaffer's salary.
  • Project Design: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Security Clearance: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Design
$155,971
10%
Security Clearance
$154,553
9%
Staff Development
$154,553
9%
System Design
$154,553
9%
Avionics
$153,135
8%
Performance Review
$150,300
6%
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How Education impacts a Gaffer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Gaffers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Gaffer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $153,424 and $161,446).

Gaffer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Gaffer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.4%
High School 2.4%
Associates 4.9%
Bachelors 43.1%
Masters 35.8%
Doctorate 13.8%
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Gaffer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Gaffer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Gaffer

Salaries for a Gaffer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $154,858 in 2023 to around $154,422 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Gaffer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Gaffer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$154,858
2024
$155,716
2025
$154,422
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $154,858
2024 $155,716
2025 $154,422
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Gaffer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Gaffer

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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