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

An Operator's salary grows with experience: starting around $45,249 for beginners, reaching about $46,760 at mid-level, and approach $49,305 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an Operator?

Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Operator roles are District of Columbia $52,176, California $51,978, Massachusetts $51,285. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Operator roles make?

Salaries for Operator level roles vary by specialization: Operator, Assembly Operator: $55,826; Crane/Tower Operator: $54,014; Crane Operator: $52,027; Furnace Operator/Tender: $46,758; Camera Operator: $46,592.

How do different companies affect an Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for 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.

Operator Salary in the United States

How much does an Operator make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Operator in the United States is $47,124 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $56,570
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $42,570 to $52,068
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $38,425

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Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$52,068	$4,339	$1,001	$25
Average	$47,124	$3,927	$906	$23
25th Percentile	$42,570	$3,548	$819	$20

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Refrigeration Operator

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Refrigeration Operator

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Key Factors That Influence Operator Salaries

An 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 Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an 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): $45,249
Early Career (1-2 years): $45,387
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $46,760
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $48,578
Expert (over 8 years): $49,305

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Operator	$45,249
Intermediate Level Operator	$45,387
Senior Level Operator	$46,760
Specialist Level Operator	$48,578
Expert Level Operator	$49,305

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $52,176.
California: $51,978.
Massachusetts: $51,285.

District of Columbia $52,176 California $51,978 Massachusetts $51,285 Washington $51,096 New Jersey $51,078 Alaska $51,012 Connecticut $50,361 New York $50,097

Hawaii $49,254 Rhode Island $48,858 Maryland $48,589 Minnesota $48,222 Colorado $48,081 Illinois $48,033 Oregon $47,854 Delaware $47,722

New Hampshire $47,639 Virginia $47,454 Pennsylvania $46,912 Nevada $46,639 North Dakota $46,549 Michigan $46,408 Wisconsin $46,356 Vermont $46,252

Texas $45,965 Maine $45,946 Arizona $45,918 Ohio $45,885 Georgia $45,451 Indiana $45,234 Wyoming $45,192 Utah $45,126

Iowa $45,098 Kansas $44,871 Louisiana $44,805 North Carolina $44,782 Missouri $44,772 Florida $44,589 Montana $44,490 Nebraska $44,395

Kentucky $44,344 South Carolina $44,155 Tennessee $44,037 Idaho $43,990 New Mexico $43,646 Oklahoma $43,571 Alabama $43,293 South Dakota $42,826

Arkansas $42,572 West Virginia $42,435 Mississippi $42,025

Top Paying Cities for 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: $59,437
San Francisco: $58,853
Oakland: $57,548

San Jose, CA $59,437

San Francisco, CA $58,853

Oakland, CA $57,548

New York, NY $54,612

Queens Village, NY $54,258

Paramus, NJ $53,881

Passaic, NJ $53,834

Bergenfield, NJ $53,787

Stamford, CT $53,717

Huntington, NY $53,669

Newark, NJ $53,363

Bridgeport, CT $53,269

New Brunswick, NJ $53,113

Vallejo, CA $53,014

Middlesex, NJ $52,986

Somerset, NJ $52,944

Petaluma, CA $52,835

Santa Cruz, CA $52,652

Boston, MA $52,557

Monterey, CA $52,322

Fairbanks, AK $52,289

Los Angeles, CA $52,199

Washington, DC $52,176

Seattle, WA $52,091

Santa Rosa, CA $52,081

Juneau, AK $51,945

Orange, CA $51,789

Anchorage, AK $51,704

Anaheim, CA $51,671

Santa Ana, CA $51,601

Nassau, NY $51,572

Long Beach, CA $51,554

Danbury, CT $51,539

Santa Maria, CA $51,379

Everett, WA $51,370

Bremerton, WA $51,139

Trenton, NJ $51,049

Sacramento, CA $51,030

San Diego, CA $51,007

Brockton, MA $50,988

Tacoma, WA $50,969

Santa Barbara, CA $50,903

Lowell, MA $50,715

New Suffolk, NY $50,696

Nashua, NH $50,639

Lompoc, CA $50,564

Ventura, CA $50,517

Stockton, CA $50,503

New Haven, CT $50,408

Atlantic City, NJ $50,286

Hartford, CT $50,182

Modesto, CA $50,159

Poughkeepsie, NY $50,055

New Britain, CT $50,031

Olympia, WA $49,965

Kennewick, WA $49,965

New London, CT $49,956

Norwich, CT $49,942

Lawrence, MA $49,918

Bakersfield, CA $49,786

Riverside, CA $49,720

New Bedford, MA $49,720

Richland, WA $49,673

Portsmouth, NH $49,636

Vineland, NJ $49,626

San Bernardino, CA $49,588

Boulder, CO $49,457

Worcester, MA $49,419

Portland, OR $49,376

Saint Paul, MN $49,320

Minneapolis, MN $49,320

Philadelphia, PA $49,254

Honolulu, HI $49,004

Springfield, MA $48,839

Providence, RI $48,834

Chicago, IL $48,698

Bellingham, WA $48,641

Baltimore, MD $48,589

Chico, CA $48,472

Wilmington, DE $48,392

Pittsfield, MA $48,344

Manchester, NH $48,255

Spokane, WA $48,048

Denver, CO $48,043

Albany, NY $47,821

Troy, NY $47,802

Schenectady, NY $47,704

Burlington, VT $47,600

Portland, ME $47,435

Salem, OR $47,397

Yakima, WA $47,388

Ann Arbor, MI $47,374

Rochester, MN $47,242

Fresno, CA $47,218

Reno, NV $47,218

Milwaukee, WI $47,176

Detroit, MI $47,129

Allentown, PA $47,114

Carson City, NV $47,110

Houston, TX $47,039

Colorado Springs, CO $47,034

Syracuse, NY $47,011

Eugene, OR $46,921

Bismarck, ND $46,865

Gary, IN $46,865

Galveston, TX $46,865

Springfield, OR $46,827

Medford, OR $46,714

Fort Collins, CO $46,695

Austin, TX $46,657

Mesa, AZ $46,558

Phoenix, AZ $46,549

Dallas, TX $46,535

Reading, PA $46,507

Saint Cloud, MN $46,488

Concord, NH $46,445

Madison, WI $46,426

Utica, NY $46,299

Raleigh, NC $46,262

Las Vegas, NV $46,257

Rochester, NY $46,224

Des Moines, IA $46,219

Atlanta, GA $46,144

Battle Creek, MI $46,130

Salt Lake City, UT $46,115

Lancaster, PA $46,045

Champaign, IL $46,035

Harrisburg, PA $45,979

Durham, NC $45,936

Kansas City, MO $45,932

Kansas City, KS $45,922

Fort Worth, TX $45,918

Boca Raton, FL $45,899

Cleveland, OH $45,894

Columbus, OH $45,885

Pittsburgh, PA $45,880

Richmond, VA $45,861

Indianapolis, IN $45,852

Cincinnati, OH $45,790

Petersburg, VA $45,720

Billings, MT $45,616

Lansing, MI $45,616

Huntsville, AL $45,616

Lebanon, PA $45,611

Dayton, OH $45,607

Pueblo, CO $45,607

Appleton, WI $45,592

Buffalo, NY $45,574

Racine, WI $45,550

Charlotte, NC $45,545

Saint Louis, MO $45,531

Springfield, IL $45,512

Elkhart, IN $45,503

York, PA $45,503

Gastonia, NC $45,498

Benton Harbor, MI $45,498

Beaumont, TX $45,470

Lorain, OH $45,460

Toledo, OH $45,442

Binghamton, NY $45,418

Rock Hill, SC $45,413

Rockford, IL $45,390

Fargo, ND $45,366

Elyria, OH $45,366

Flagstaff, AZ $45,333

Fort Lauderdale, FL $45,305

Miami, FL $45,277

Duluth, MN $45,201

Bangor, ME $45,140

Cedar Rapids, IA $45,088

Louisville, KY $45,065

Grand Rapids, MI $45,055

Hialeah, FL $45,050

Casper, WY $44,984

Scranton, PA $44,928

New Orleans, LA $44,914

Virginia Beach, VA $44,909

Akron, OH $44,886

Peoria, IL $44,824

Sarasota, FL $44,815

Green Bay, WI $44,782

Baton Rouge, LA $44,758

Charleston, SC $44,749

Nashville, TN $44,735

Jamestown, NY $44,725

Davenport, IA $44,725

Tucson, AZ $44,702

Cheyenne, WY $44,688

Saint Petersburg, FL $44,673

Tampa, FL $44,664

Omaha, NE $44,655

Port Arthur, TX $44,636

Evansville, IN $44,636

Bradenton, FL $44,617

Santa Fe, NM $44,532

Orlando, FL $44,485

Clearwater, FL $44,433

Canton, OH $44,334

La Crosse, WI $44,334

Grand Forks, ND $44,320

Albuquerque, NM $44,306

Tulsa, OK $44,306

Newport News, VA $44,301

High Point, NC $44,287

Ogden, UT $44,268

Corpus Christi, TX $44,230

Laramie, WY $44,202

Norfolk, VA $44,202

Rock Island, IL $44,174

Saginaw, MI $44,165

Jacksonville, FL $44,160

Salisbury, NC $44,150

Memphis, TN $44,141

Moline, IL $44,117

Fort Myers, FL $44,103

Waterloo, IA $44,042

Spartanburg, SC $43,995

Lincoln, NE $43,971

Fort Wayne, IN $43,962

Birmingham, AL $43,910

Cedar Falls, IA $43,901

Provo, UT $43,896

Springfield, OH $43,891

San Antonio, TX $43,882

Greensboro, NC $43,863

South Bend, IN $43,858

Winston Salem, NC $43,854

Boise, ID $43,839

Savannah, GA $43,806

Muskegon, MI $43,722

Lima, OH $43,665

Lake Charles, LA $43,646

Anderson, IN $43,637

Lexington, KY $43,623

Augusta, GA $43,608

Greenville, SC $43,608

Wichita, KS $43,566

Tuscaloosa, AL $43,566

Columbia, SC $43,524

Bloomington, IN $43,406

Roanoke, VA $43,378

Asheville, NC $43,316

Knoxville, TN $43,236

Shreveport, LA $43,231

Wilmington, NC $43,170

Frankfort, KY $43,081

Oklahoma City, OK $43,048

Chillicothe, OH $43,029

Longview, TX $43,024

Topeka, KS $43,010

Mobile, AL $42,939

Terre Haute, IN $42,920

Erie, PA $42,916

Altoona, PA $42,892

Melbourne, FL $42,878

Amarillo, TX $42,859

Killeen, TX $42,845

Fayetteville, AR $42,807

Sioux Falls, SD $42,774

Chattanooga, TN $42,746

Idaho Falls, ID $42,741

Gainesville, FL $42,642

Portsmouth, OH $42,619

Little Rock, AR $42,609

Lynchburg, VA $42,609

Lafayette, LA $42,591

Youngstown, OH $42,591

Temple, TX $42,572

Daytona Beach, FL $42,562

Clarksville, TN $42,558

Pensacola, FL $42,553

Hopkinsville, KY $42,412

Charleston, WV $42,407

Florence, SC $42,383

Sioux City, IA $42,355

Macon, GA $42,218

Tallahassee, FL $42,214

Fayetteville, NC $42,204

Waco, TX $42,195

Wichita Falls, TX $42,195

Pine Bluff, AR $42,176

Vincennes, IN $42,086

Lubbock, TX $42,068

Great Falls, MT $42,039

Alamogordo, NM $42,035

Abilene, TX $41,997

Rapid City, SD $41,936

Monroe, LA $41,936

Albany, GA $41,907

Huntington, WV $41,903

Jackson, MS $41,898

Greenville, MS $41,893

Parkersburg, WV $41,846

Montgomery, AL $41,837

Johnstown, PA $41,827

Springfield, MO $41,789

Biloxi, MS $41,766

Sumter, SC $41,667

Columbus, GA $41,662

Twin Falls, ID $41,634

Pascagoula, MS $41,573

Kingsport, TN $41,450

Gulfport, MS $41,436

Alexandria, LA $41,281

Fort Smith, AR $41,163

El Paso, TX $41,035

Helena, MT $40,974

Las Cruces, NM $40,823

Harlingen, TX $40,691

Pocatello, ID $40,649

Florence, AL $40,635

Brownsville, TX $40,626

Dothan, AL $40,550

Mcallen, TX $40,527

Columbus, MS $40,178

Altus, OK $39,961

Lawton, OK $39,872

Pierre, SD $39,702

What Skills Can Increase an 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 an 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	$50,894	8%
Dedication	$50,423	7%
Collaboration	$49,009	4%
Leadership	$48,538	3%
Initiative	$48,538	3%
SOP	$48,066	2%

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How Education impacts an Operator's Salary?

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

Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for 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

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

Understanding how an 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

$42,570

Average $47,124/year

$52,068

$3,548

Average $3,927/month

$4,339

$819

Average $906/week

$1,001

$20

Average $23/hour

$25

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$52,068	$4,339	$1,001	$25
Average	$47,124	$3,927	$906	$23
25th Percentile	$42,570	$3,548	$819	$20

Salaries of jobs related to Operator

Salary Trends for Operator

Salaries for an Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $43,262 in 2023 to around $43,300 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$43,262

2024

$43,417

2025

$43,300

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$43,262
2024	$43,417
2025	$43,300
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for 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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