What are the main factors that influence an Apprentice Operator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An Apprentice Operator's salary?

An Apprentice Operator's salary grows with experience: a Apprentice Operator (0-1 years)earns $37,174, a Proof Operator, Sr. (1-3 years)earns $46,459, a Proof Supervisor (3+ years)earns $64,491, a Proof Department Manager (3-5 years)earns $76,493,

What are the highest paying states for an Apprentice Operator?

Apprentice Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Apprentice Operator roles are District of Columbia $41,378, California $41,221, Massachusetts $40,672. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Apprentice Operator roles make?

Salaries for Apprentice Operator level roles vary by specialization: Apprentice Mobile Equipment Operator: $77,699; Apprentice Power Plant Operator: $73,636; Lineman Apprentice: $63,004; Apprentice Terminal Operator: $60,356; Electrician - Apprentice: $55,600.

How do different companies affect an Apprentice Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Apprentice Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Apprentice Operator Salary in the United States

How much does an Apprentice Operator make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Apprentice Operator in the United States is $37,372 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $42,496
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $33,420 to $40,054
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $29,822

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Apprentice Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$40,054	$3,338	$770	$19
Average	$37,372	$3,114	$719	$18
25th Percentile	$33,420	$2,785	$643	$16

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Check out Apprentice Operator Job Openings in the United States

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Key Factors That Influence Apprentice Operator Salaries

An Apprentice Operator'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 Do Apprentice Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Apprentice Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $41,378.
California: $41,221.
Massachusetts: $40,672.

District of Columbia $41,378

California $41,221

Massachusetts $40,672

Washington $40,522

New Jersey $40,507

Alaska $40,455

Connecticut $39,939

New York $39,730

Hawaii $39,061

Rhode Island $38,747

Maryland $38,534

Minnesota $38,242

Colorado $38,130

Illinois $38,093

Oregon $37,951

Delaware $37,846

New Hampshire $37,781

Virginia $37,633

Pennsylvania $37,204

Nevada $36,987

North Dakota $36,916

Michigan $36,804

Wisconsin $36,763

Vermont $36,680

Texas $36,452

Maine $36,437

Arizona $36,415

Ohio $36,389

Georgia $36,045

Indiana $35,873

Wyoming $35,839

Utah $35,787

Iowa $35,765

Kansas $35,585

Louisiana $35,533

North Carolina $35,514

Missouri $35,507

Florida $35,361

Montana $35,283

Nebraska $35,208

Kentucky $35,167

South Carolina $35,017

Tennessee $34,924

Idaho $34,886

New Mexico $34,614

Oklahoma $34,554

Alabama $34,333

South Dakota $33,963

Arkansas $33,762

West Virginia $33,653

Mississippi $33,328

Top Paying Cities for Apprentice Operators

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: $47,137
San Francisco: $46,674
Oakland: $45,638

San Jose, CA $47,137

San Francisco, CA $46,674

Oakland, CA $45,638

New York, NY $43,310

Queens Village, NY $43,030

Paramus, NJ $42,731

Passaic, NJ $42,693

Bergenfield, NJ $42,656

Stamford, CT $42,600

Huntington, NY $42,563

Newark, NJ $42,320

Bridgeport, CT $42,245

New Brunswick, NJ $42,122

Vallejo, CA $42,043

Middlesex, NJ $42,021

Somerset, NJ $41,987

Petaluma, CA $41,901

Santa Cruz, CA $41,755

Boston, MA $41,681

Monterey, CA $41,494

Fairbanks, AK $41,468

Los Angeles, CA $41,397

Washington, DC $41,378

Seattle, WA $41,311

Santa Rosa, CA $41,303

Juneau, AK $41,195

Orange, CA $41,071

Anchorage, AK $41,004

Anaheim, CA $40,978

Santa Ana, CA $40,922

Nassau, NY $40,900

Long Beach, CA $40,885

Danbury, CT $40,873

Santa Maria, CA $40,746

Everett, WA $40,739

Bremerton, WA $40,556

Trenton, NJ $40,485

Sacramento, CA $40,470

San Diego, CA $40,451

Brockton, MA $40,436

Tacoma, WA $40,421

Santa Barbara, CA $40,369

Lowell, MA $40,219

New Suffolk, NY $40,204

Nashua, NH $40,160

Lompoc, CA $40,100

Ventura, CA $40,062

Stockton, CA $40,051

New Haven, CT $39,977

Atlantic City, NJ $39,879

Hartford, CT $39,797

Modesto, CA $39,778

Poughkeepsie, NY $39,696

New Britain, CT $39,678

Olympia, WA $39,625

Kennewick, WA $39,625

New London, CT $39,618

Norwich, CT $39,607

Lawrence, MA $39,588

Bakersfield, CA $39,483

Riverside, CA $39,431

New Bedford, MA $39,431

Richland, WA $39,394

Portsmouth, NH $39,364

Vineland, NJ $39,356

San Bernardino, CA $39,326

Boulder, CO $39,222

Worcester, MA $39,192

Portland, OR $39,158

Saint Paul, MN $39,113

Minneapolis, MN $39,113

Philadelphia, PA $39,061

Honolulu, HI $38,863

Springfield, MA $38,732

Providence, RI $38,728

Chicago, IL $38,620

Bellingham, WA $38,575

Baltimore, MD $38,534

Chico, CA $38,441

Wilmington, DE $38,377

Pittsfield, MA $38,340

Manchester, NH $38,269

Spokane, WA $38,104

Denver, CO $38,100

Albany, NY $37,925

Troy, NY $37,910

Schenectady, NY $37,831

Burlington, VT $37,749

Portland, ME $37,618

Salem, OR $37,588

Yakima, WA $37,581

Ann Arbor, MI $37,570

Rochester, MN $37,465

Fresno, CA $37,446

Reno, NV $37,446

Milwaukee, WI $37,413

Detroit, MI $37,375

Allentown, PA $37,364

Carson City, NV $37,360

Houston, TX $37,304

Colorado Springs, CO $37,301

Syracuse, NY $37,282

Eugene, OR $37,211

Bismarck, ND $37,166

Gary, IN $37,166

Galveston, TX $37,166

Springfield, OR $37,136

Medford, OR $37,047

Fort Collins, CO $37,032

Austin, TX $37,002

Mesa, AZ $36,923

Phoenix, AZ $36,916

Dallas, TX $36,905

Reading, PA $36,882

Saint Cloud, MN $36,867

Concord, NH $36,834

Madison, WI $36,819

Utica, NY $36,718

Raleigh, NC $36,688

Las Vegas, NV $36,684

Rochester, NY $36,658

Des Moines, IA $36,654

Atlanta, GA $36,594

Battle Creek, MI $36,583

Salt Lake City, UT $36,572

Lancaster, PA $36,516

Champaign, IL $36,508

Harrisburg, PA $36,464

Durham, NC $36,430

Kansas City, MO $36,426

Kansas City, KS $36,419

Fort Worth, TX $36,415

Boca Raton, FL $36,400

Cleveland, OH $36,396

Columbus, OH $36,389

Pittsburgh, PA $36,385

Richmond, VA $36,370

Indianapolis, IN $36,363

Cincinnati, OH $36,314

Petersburg, VA $36,258

Billings, MT $36,176

Lansing, MI $36,176

Huntsville, AL $36,176

Lebanon, PA $36,172

Dayton, OH $36,168

Pueblo, CO $36,168

Appleton, WI $36,157

Buffalo, NY $36,142

Racine, WI $36,123

Charlotte, NC $36,120

Saint Louis, MO $36,109

Springfield, IL $36,094

Elkhart, IN $36,086

York, PA $36,086

Gastonia, NC $36,082

Benton Harbor, MI $36,082

Beaumont, TX $36,060

Lorain, OH $36,052

Toledo, OH $36,038

Binghamton, NY $36,019

Rock Hill, SC $36,015

Rockford, IL $35,996

Fargo, ND $35,978

Elyria, OH $35,978

Flagstaff, AZ $35,952

Fort Lauderdale, FL $35,929

Miami, FL $35,907

Duluth, MN $35,847

Bangor, ME $35,798

Cedar Rapids, IA $35,757

Louisville, KY $35,739

Grand Rapids, MI $35,731

Hialeah, FL $35,727

Casper, WY $35,675

Scranton, PA $35,630

New Orleans, LA $35,619

Virginia Beach, VA $35,615

Akron, OH $35,597

Peoria, IL $35,548

Sarasota, FL $35,540

Green Bay, WI $35,514

Baton Rouge, LA $35,496

Charleston, SC $35,488

Nashville, TN $35,477

Jamestown, NY $35,469

Davenport, IA $35,469

Tucson, AZ $35,451

Cheyenne, WY $35,440

Saint Petersburg, FL $35,428

Tampa, FL $35,421

Omaha, NE $35,413

Port Arthur, TX $35,398

Evansville, IN $35,398

Bradenton, FL $35,384

Santa Fe, NM $35,316

Orlando, FL $35,279

Clearwater, FL $35,238

Canton, OH $35,159

La Crosse, WI $35,159

Grand Forks, ND $35,148

Albuquerque, NM $35,137

Tulsa, OK $35,137

Newport News, VA $35,133

High Point, NC $35,122

Ogden, UT $35,107

Corpus Christi, TX $35,077

Laramie, WY $35,055

Norfolk, VA $35,055

Rock Island, IL $35,032

Saginaw, MI $35,025

Jacksonville, FL $35,021

Salisbury, NC $35,014

Memphis, TN $35,006

Moline, IL $34,987

Fort Myers, FL $34,976

Waterloo, IA $34,928

Spartanburg, SC $34,890

Lincoln, NE $34,872

Fort Wayne, IN $34,864

Birmingham, AL $34,823

Cedar Falls, IA $34,815

Provo, UT $34,812

Springfield, OH $34,808

San Antonio, TX $34,801

Greensboro, NC $34,786

South Bend, IN $34,782

Winston Salem, NC $34,778

Boise, ID $34,767

Savannah, GA $34,741

Muskegon, MI $34,673

Lima, OH $34,629

Lake Charles, LA $34,614

Anderson, IN $34,606

Lexington, KY $34,595

Augusta, GA $34,584

Greenville, SC $34,584

Wichita, KS $34,550

Tuscaloosa, AL $34,550

Columbia, SC $34,517

Bloomington, IN $34,423

Roanoke, VA $34,401

Asheville, NC $34,352

Knoxville, TN $34,289

Shreveport, LA $34,285

Wilmington, NC $34,236

Frankfort, KY $34,165

Oklahoma City, OK $34,139

Chillicothe, OH $34,124

Longview, TX $34,120

Topeka, KS $34,109

Mobile, AL $34,053

Terre Haute, IN $34,038

Erie, PA $34,034

Altoona, PA $34,016

Melbourne, FL $34,005

Amarillo, TX $33,990

Killeen, TX $33,978

Fayetteville, AR $33,948

Sioux Falls, SD $33,922

Chattanooga, TN $33,900

Idaho Falls, ID $33,896

Gainesville, FL $33,818

Portsmouth, OH $33,799

Little Rock, AR $33,791

Lynchburg, VA $33,791

Lafayette, LA $33,777

Youngstown, OH $33,777

Temple, TX $33,762

Daytona Beach, FL $33,754

Clarksville, TN $33,750

Pensacola, FL $33,747

Hopkinsville, KY $33,635

Charleston, WV $33,631

Florence, SC $33,612

Sioux City, IA $33,590

Macon, GA $33,481

Tallahassee, FL $33,478

Fayetteville, NC $33,470

Waco, TX $33,463

Wichita Falls, TX $33,463

Pine Bluff, AR $33,448

Vincennes, IN $33,377

Lubbock, TX $33,362

Great Falls, MT $33,339

Alamogordo, NM $33,336

Abilene, TX $33,306

Rapid City, SD $33,257

Monroe, LA $33,257

Albany, GA $33,235

Huntington, WV $33,231

Jackson, MS $33,227

Greenville, MS $33,223

Parkersburg, WV $33,186

Montgomery, AL $33,179

Johnstown, PA $33,171

Springfield, MO $33,141

Biloxi, MS $33,123

Sumter, SC $33,044

Columbus, GA $33,040

Twin Falls, ID $33,018

Pascagoula, MS $32,969

Kingsport, TN $32,872

Gulfport, MS $32,861

Alexandria, LA $32,738

Fort Smith, AR $32,644

El Paso, TX $32,543

Helena, MT $32,495

Las Cruces, NM $32,375

Harlingen, TX $32,270

Pocatello, ID $32,237

Florence, AL $32,226

Brownsville, TX $32,218

Dothan, AL $32,158

Mcallen, TX $32,140

Columbus, MS $31,863

Altus, OK $31,691

Lawton, OK $31,620

Pierre, SD $31,486

What Skills Can Increase an Apprentice Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Problem Solving (Mentioned in 9.09% Job Postings): Analyzing and identifying the root cause of problems and applying critical thinking skills to solve problems.
Bank Operations (Mentioned in 4.55% Job Postings): Banking operations are bank-specific economic activities listed in the Banking Law which involve provision of certain financial services to their recipients against payment and under an agreement concluded with the client.
Computer Knowledge (Mentioned in 4.55% Job Postings): Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with skill levels ranging from elementary use to computer programming and advanced problem solving.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Problem Solving	9.09%
Bank Operations	4.55%
Computer Knowledge	4.55%

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 an Apprentice Operator's salary.

Listening: Can increase your salary by up to 32%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Accounting: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Listening	$49,331	32%
Presentation	$46,715	25%
Accounting	$41,483	11%
Microsoft Word	$40,735	9%
PowerPoint	$40,735	9%
Flexibility	$39,240	5%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an Apprentice Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Apprentice Operators 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 an Apprentice Operator with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $31,307 and $33,305).

Apprentice Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Apprentice Operator

No Diploma 50.0%

High School 50.0%

Associates 15.0%

Bachelors 30.0%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 5.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	50.0%
High School	50.0%
Associates	15.0%
Bachelors	30.0%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	5.0%

view as graph

Apprentice Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Apprentice Operator'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

$33,420

Average $37,372/year

$40,054

$2,785

Average $3,114/month

$3,338

$643

Average $719/week

$770

$16

Average $18/hour

$19

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$40,054	$3,338	$770	$19
Average	$37,372	$3,114	$719	$18
25th Percentile	$33,420	$2,785	$643	$16

Salaries of jobs related to Apprentice Operator

Salary Trends for Apprentice Operator

Salaries for an Apprentice Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $34,624 in 2023 to around $33,958 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Apprentice Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Apprentice Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$34,624

2024

$34,308

2025

$33,958

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$34,624
2024	$34,308
2025	$33,958
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Apprentice Operator

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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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.)

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