What are the main factors that influence a Lead Operator's salary?

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

How does experience change a Lead Operator's salary?

A Lead Operator's salary grows with experience: starting around $44,558 for beginners, reaching about $46,046 at mid-level, and approach $48,552 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Operator?

Lead Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Operator roles are District of Columbia $51,379, California $51,184, Massachusetts $50,502. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Operator roles make?

Salaries for Lead Operator level roles vary by specialization: Boiler Operator Team Lead: $82,500; Rig Operator Team Lead: $81,720; Machine Operator Lead: $81,485; Lead Production Operator: $77,644; Lead: $68,920.

How do different companies affect a Lead Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Lead Operator Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Operator make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Operator in the United States is $46,405 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $55,706
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,921 to $51,273
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $37,838

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Lead Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$51,273	$4,273	$986	$25
Average	$46,405	$3,867	$892	$22
25th Percentile	$41,921	$3,493	$806	$20

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Operator Salaries

A Lead 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 Experience Level Affects Lead Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Operator'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): $44,558
Early Career (1-2 years): $44,694
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $46,046
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $47,836
Expert (over 8 years): $48,552

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Lead Operator	$44,558
Intermediate Level Lead Operator	$44,694
Senior Level Lead Operator	$46,046
Specialist Level Lead Operator	$47,836
Expert Level Lead Operator	$48,552

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead 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 Lead Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $51,379.
California: $51,184.
Massachusetts: $50,502.

District of Columbia $51,379 California $51,184 Massachusetts $50,502 Washington $50,316 New Jersey $50,298 Alaska $50,233 Connecticut $49,592 New York $49,333

Hawaii $48,502 Rhode Island $48,112 Maryland $47,848 Minnesota $47,486 Colorado $47,347 Illinois $47,300 Oregon $47,124 Delaware $46,994

New Hampshire $46,912 Virginia $46,729 Pennsylvania $46,196 Nevada $45,927 North Dakota $45,838 Michigan $45,699 Wisconsin $45,648 Vermont $45,546

Texas $45,263 Maine $45,244 Arizona $45,217 Ohio $45,184 Georgia $44,757 Indiana $44,544 Wyoming $44,502 Utah $44,437

Iowa $44,409 Kansas $44,186 Louisiana $44,121 North Carolina $44,098 Missouri $44,089 Florida $43,908 Montana $43,810 Nebraska $43,718

Kentucky $43,667 South Carolina $43,481 Tennessee $43,365 Idaho $43,319 New Mexico $42,980 Oklahoma $42,906 Alabama $42,632 South Dakota $42,172

Arkansas $41,922 West Virginia $41,787 Mississippi $41,384

Top Paying Cities for Lead 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: $58,530
San Francisco: $57,955
Oakland: $56,669

San Jose, CA $58,530

San Francisco, CA $57,955

Oakland, CA $56,669

New York, NY $53,778

Queens Village, NY $53,430

Paramus, NJ $53,059

Passaic, NJ $53,013

Bergenfield, NJ $52,966

Stamford, CT $52,896

Huntington, NY $52,850

Newark, NJ $52,548

Bridgeport, CT $52,456

New Brunswick, NJ $52,303

Vallejo, CA $52,205

Middlesex, NJ $52,177

Somerset, NJ $52,135

Petaluma, CA $52,029

Santa Cruz, CA $51,848

Boston, MA $51,755

Monterey, CA $51,523

Fairbanks, AK $51,490

Los Angeles, CA $51,402

Washington, DC $51,379

Seattle, WA $51,296

Santa Rosa, CA $51,286

Juneau, AK $51,152

Orange, CA $50,999

Anchorage, AK $50,915

Anaheim, CA $50,883

Santa Ana, CA $50,813

Nassau, NY $50,785

Long Beach, CA $50,767

Danbury, CT $50,753

Santa Maria, CA $50,595

Everett, WA $50,586

Bremerton, WA $50,358

Trenton, NJ $50,270

Sacramento, CA $50,251

San Diego, CA $50,228

Brockton, MA $50,210

Tacoma, WA $50,191

Santa Barbara, CA $50,126

Lowell, MA $49,941

New Suffolk, NY $49,922

Nashua, NH $49,866

Lompoc, CA $49,792

Ventura, CA $49,746

Stockton, CA $49,732

New Haven, CT $49,639

Atlantic City, NJ $49,518

Hartford, CT $49,416

Modesto, CA $49,393

Poughkeepsie, NY $49,291

New Britain, CT $49,268

Olympia, WA $49,203

Kennewick, WA $49,203

New London, CT $49,193

Norwich, CT $49,179

Lawrence, MA $49,156

Bakersfield, CA $49,026

Riverside, CA $48,961

New Bedford, MA $48,961

Richland, WA $48,915

Portsmouth, NH $48,878

Vineland, NJ $48,869

San Bernardino, CA $48,831

Boulder, CO $48,702

Worcester, MA $48,664

Portland, OR $48,623

Saint Paul, MN $48,567

Minneapolis, MN $48,567

Philadelphia, PA $48,502

Honolulu, HI $48,256

Springfield, MA $48,094

Providence, RI $48,089

Chicago, IL $47,954

Bellingham, WA $47,899

Baltimore, MD $47,848

Chico, CA $47,732

Wilmington, DE $47,653

Pittsfield, MA $47,606

Manchester, NH $47,518

Spokane, WA $47,314

Denver, CO $47,309

Albany, NY $47,091

Troy, NY $47,073

Schenectady, NY $46,975

Burlington, VT $46,873

Portland, ME $46,711

Salem, OR $46,674

Yakima, WA $46,664

Ann Arbor, MI $46,650

Rochester, MN $46,521

Fresno, CA $46,497

Reno, NV $46,497

Milwaukee, WI $46,456

Detroit, MI $46,409

Allentown, PA $46,395

Carson City, NV $46,391

Houston, TX $46,321

Colorado Springs, CO $46,316

Syracuse, NY $46,293

Eugene, OR $46,205

Bismarck, ND $46,149

Gary, IN $46,149

Galveston, TX $46,149

Springfield, OR $46,112

Medford, OR $46,001

Fort Collins, CO $45,982

Austin, TX $45,945

Mesa, AZ $45,848

Phoenix, AZ $45,838

Dallas, TX $45,824

Reading, PA $45,797

Saint Cloud, MN $45,778

Concord, NH $45,736

Madison, WI $45,718

Utica, NY $45,592

Raleigh, NC $45,555

Las Vegas, NV $45,551

Rochester, NY $45,518

Des Moines, IA $45,514

Atlanta, GA $45,439

Battle Creek, MI $45,425

Salt Lake City, UT $45,411

Lancaster, PA $45,342

Champaign, IL $45,333

Harrisburg, PA $45,277

Durham, NC $45,235

Kansas City, MO $45,230

Kansas City, KS $45,221

Fort Worth, TX $45,217

Boca Raton, FL $45,198

Cleveland, OH $45,193

Columbus, OH $45,184

Pittsburgh, PA $45,179

Richmond, VA $45,161

Indianapolis, IN $45,152

Cincinnati, OH $45,091

Petersburg, VA $45,022

Billings, MT $44,920

Lansing, MI $44,920

Huntsville, AL $44,920

Lebanon, PA $44,915

Dayton, OH $44,910

Pueblo, CO $44,910

Appleton, WI $44,896

Buffalo, NY $44,878

Racine, WI $44,855

Charlotte, NC $44,850

Saint Louis, MO $44,836

Springfield, IL $44,817

Elkhart, IN $44,808

York, PA $44,808

Gastonia, NC $44,804

Benton Harbor, MI $44,804

Beaumont, TX $44,776

Lorain, OH $44,766

Toledo, OH $44,748

Binghamton, NY $44,725

Rock Hill, SC $44,720

Rockford, IL $44,697

Fargo, ND $44,674

Elyria, OH $44,674

Flagstaff, AZ $44,641

Fort Lauderdale, FL $44,613

Miami, FL $44,585

Duluth, MN $44,511

Bangor, ME $44,451

Cedar Rapids, IA $44,400

Louisville, KY $44,377

Grand Rapids, MI $44,367

Hialeah, FL $44,363

Casper, WY $44,298

Scranton, PA $44,242

New Orleans, LA $44,228

Virginia Beach, VA $44,223

Akron, OH $44,200

Peoria, IL $44,140

Sarasota, FL $44,131

Green Bay, WI $44,098

Baton Rouge, LA $44,075

Charleston, SC $44,066

Nashville, TN $44,052

Jamestown, NY $44,043

Davenport, IA $44,043

Tucson, AZ $44,019

Cheyenne, WY $44,005

Saint Petersburg, FL $43,991

Tampa, FL $43,982

Omaha, NE $43,973

Port Arthur, TX $43,954

Evansville, IN $43,954

Bradenton, FL $43,936

Santa Fe, NM $43,852

Orlando, FL $43,806

Clearwater, FL $43,755

Canton, OH $43,657

La Crosse, WI $43,657

Grand Forks, ND $43,643

Albuquerque, NM $43,630

Tulsa, OK $43,630

Newport News, VA $43,625

High Point, NC $43,611

Ogden, UT $43,592

Corpus Christi, TX $43,555

Laramie, WY $43,527

Norfolk, VA $43,527

Rock Island, IL $43,500

Saginaw, MI $43,490

Jacksonville, FL $43,486

Salisbury, NC $43,476

Memphis, TN $43,467

Moline, IL $43,444

Fort Myers, FL $43,430

Waterloo, IA $43,370

Spartanburg, SC $43,323

Lincoln, NE $43,300

Fort Wayne, IN $43,291

Birmingham, AL $43,240

Cedar Falls, IA $43,230

Provo, UT $43,226

Springfield, OH $43,221

San Antonio, TX $43,212

Greensboro, NC $43,193

South Bend, IN $43,189

Winston Salem, NC $43,184

Boise, ID $43,170

Savannah, GA $43,138

Muskegon, MI $43,054

Lima, OH $42,998

Lake Charles, LA $42,980

Anderson, IN $42,971

Lexington, KY $42,957

Augusta, GA $42,943

Greenville, SC $42,943

Wichita, KS $42,901

Tuscaloosa, AL $42,901

Columbia, SC $42,859

Bloomington, IN $42,743

Roanoke, VA $42,715

Asheville, NC $42,655

Knoxville, TN $42,576

Shreveport, LA $42,571

Wilmington, NC $42,511

Frankfort, KY $42,423

Oklahoma City, OK $42,391

Chillicothe, OH $42,372

Longview, TX $42,367

Topeka, KS $42,353

Mobile, AL $42,284

Terre Haute, IN $42,265

Erie, PA $42,261

Altoona, PA $42,237

Melbourne, FL $42,223

Amarillo, TX $42,205

Killeen, TX $42,191

Fayetteville, AR $42,154

Sioux Falls, SD $42,121

Chattanooga, TN $42,094

Idaho Falls, ID $42,089

Gainesville, FL $41,991

Portsmouth, OH $41,968

Little Rock, AR $41,959

Lynchburg, VA $41,959

Lafayette, LA $41,940

Youngstown, OH $41,940

Temple, TX $41,922

Daytona Beach, FL $41,913

Clarksville, TN $41,908

Pensacola, FL $41,903

Hopkinsville, KY $41,764

Charleston, WV $41,759

Florence, SC $41,736

Sioux City, IA $41,708

Macon, GA $41,574

Tallahassee, FL $41,569

Fayetteville, NC $41,560

Waco, TX $41,551

Wichita Falls, TX $41,551

Pine Bluff, AR $41,532

Vincennes, IN $41,444

Lubbock, TX $41,425

Great Falls, MT $41,397

Alamogordo, NM $41,393

Abilene, TX $41,356

Rapid City, SD $41,295

Monroe, LA $41,295

Albany, GA $41,268

Huntington, WV $41,263

Jackson, MS $41,258

Greenville, MS $41,254

Parkersburg, WV $41,207

Montgomery, AL $41,198

Johnstown, PA $41,189

Springfield, MO $41,152

Biloxi, MS $41,128

Sumter, SC $41,031

Columbus, GA $41,026

Twin Falls, ID $40,998

Pascagoula, MS $40,938

Kingsport, TN $40,817

Gulfport, MS $40,803

Alexandria, LA $40,650

Fort Smith, AR $40,534

El Paso, TX $40,409

Helena, MT $40,349

Las Cruces, NM $40,200

Harlingen, TX $40,070

Pocatello, ID $40,029

Florence, AL $40,015

Brownsville, TX $40,005

Dothan, AL $39,931

Mcallen, TX $39,908

Columbus, MS $39,564

Altus, OK $39,351

Lawton, OK $39,263

Pierre, SD $39,096

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.99% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Machine Operation (Mentioned in 3.23% Job Postings): Applying methods and techniques to implement, maintain, repair, design, and update various machines following specific rules to ensure safety.
Container (Mentioned in 2.39% Job Postings): Container is an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.99%
Machine Operation	3.23%
Container	2.39%

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 Lead Operator's salary.

Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Analysis	$50,117	8%
Dedication	$49,653	7%
Collaboration	$48,261	4%
Leadership	$47,797	3%
Initiative	$47,797	3%
SOP	$47,333	2%

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How Education impacts a Lead Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Operators enter the field with a No Diploma 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 Lead Operator with a No Diploma is between $44,700 and $47,709).

Lead Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Operator

No Diploma 85.7%

High School 85.7%

Associates 9.5%

Bachelors 4.8%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	85.7%
High School	85.7%
Associates	9.5%
Bachelors	4.8%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Lead 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 January 01, 2026

$41,921

Average $46,405/year

$51,273

$3,493

Average $3,867/month

$4,273

$806

Average $892/week

$986

$20

Average $22/hour

$25

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$51,273	$4,273	$986	$25
Average	$46,405	$3,867	$892	$22
25th Percentile	$41,921	$3,493	$806	$20

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Operator

Salary Trends for Lead Operator

Salaries for a Lead Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $42,601 in 2023 to around $42,639 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$42,601

2024

$42,755

2025

$42,639

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$42,601
2024	$42,755
2025	$42,639
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Operator

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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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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