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

A Pipeline Operator's salary grows with experience: a Pipeline Technician I (0-1 years)earns $72,983, a Pipeline Operator (1-3 years)earns $80,892, a Pipeline Technician III (3-5 years)earns $91,441, a Pipeline Maintenance Manager (5+ years)earns $111,501,

What are the highest paying states for a Pipeline Operator?

Pipeline Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Pipeline Operator roles are District of Columbia $90,160, California $89,818, Massachusetts $88,621. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Pipeline Operator roles make?

Salaries for Pipeline Operator level roles vary by specialization: Pipeline Manager: $162,300; Pipeline Foreman: $147,688; Pipeline Supervisor: $133,413; Pipeline Specialist: $89,901; Pipeline Controller: $87,156.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Pipeline Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc ($126,909) and GE Renewable Energy ($121,776) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $76,117.

Pipeline Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Pipeline Operator in the United States is $81,430 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,423
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $76,301 to $88,754
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,630

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Pipeline Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$88,754	$7,396	$1,707	$43
Average	$81,430	$6,786	$1,566	$39
25th Percentile	$76,301	$6,358	$1,467	$37

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Key Factors That Influence Pipeline Operator Salaries

A Pipeline 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 Pipeline 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 Pipeline Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $90,160.
California: $89,818.
Massachusetts: $88,621.

District of Columbia $90,160 California $89,818 Massachusetts $88,621 Washington $88,295 New Jersey $88,262 Alaska $88,148 Connecticut $87,025 New York $86,569

Hawaii $85,111 Rhode Island $84,427 Maryland $83,963 Minnesota $83,328 Colorado $83,083 Illinois $83,002 Oregon $82,693 Delaware $82,465

New Hampshire $82,321 Virginia $82,000 Pennsylvania $81,064 Nevada $80,592 North Dakota $80,437 Michigan $80,193 Wisconsin $80,103 Vermont $79,924

Texas $79,427 Maine $79,395 Arizona $79,346 Ohio $79,289 Georgia $78,540 Indiana $78,165 Wyoming $78,092 Utah $77,978

Iowa $77,929 Kansas $77,538 Louisiana $77,424 North Carolina $77,383 Missouri $77,367 Florida $77,049 Montana $76,878 Nebraska $76,716

Kentucky $76,626 South Carolina $76,300 Tennessee $76,097 Idaho $76,015 New Mexico $75,421 Oklahoma $75,291 Alabama $74,810 South Dakota $74,004

Arkansas $73,564 West Virginia $73,328 Mississippi $72,620

Top Paying Cities for Pipeline 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: $102,708
San Francisco: $101,698
Oakland: $99,443

San Jose, CA $102,708

San Francisco, CA $101,698

Oakland, CA $99,443

New York, NY $94,370

Queens Village, NY $93,759

Paramus, NJ $93,108

Passaic, NJ $93,026

Bergenfield, NJ $92,945

Stamford, CT $92,823

Huntington, NY $92,741

Newark, NJ $92,212

Bridgeport, CT $92,049

New Brunswick, NJ $91,780

Vallejo, CA $91,609

Middlesex, NJ $91,560

Somerset, NJ $91,487

Petaluma, CA $91,300

Santa Cruz, CA $90,982

Boston, MA $90,819

Monterey, CA $90,412

Fairbanks, AK $90,355

Los Angeles, CA $90,200

Washington, DC $90,160

Seattle, WA $90,013

Santa Rosa, CA $89,997

Juneau, AK $89,761

Orange, CA $89,492

Anchorage, AK $89,345

Anaheim, CA $89,288

Santa Ana, CA $89,166

Nassau, NY $89,117

Long Beach, CA $89,085

Danbury, CT $89,060

Santa Maria, CA $88,784

Everett, WA $88,767

Bremerton, WA $88,368

Trenton, NJ $88,214

Sacramento, CA $88,181

San Diego, CA $88,140

Brockton, MA $88,108

Tacoma, WA $88,075

Santa Barbara, CA $87,961

Lowell, MA $87,635

New Suffolk, NY $87,603

Nashua, NH $87,505

Lompoc, CA $87,375

Ventura, CA $87,293

Stockton, CA $87,269

New Haven, CT $87,106

Atlantic City, NJ $86,894

Hartford, CT $86,715

Modesto, CA $86,675

Poughkeepsie, NY $86,495

New Britain, CT $86,455

Olympia, WA $86,341

Kennewick, WA $86,341

New London, CT $86,324

Norwich, CT $86,300

Lawrence, MA $86,259

Bakersfield, CA $86,031

Riverside, CA $85,917

New Bedford, MA $85,917

Richland, WA $85,836

Portsmouth, NH $85,771

Vineland, NJ $85,754

San Bernardino, CA $85,689

Boulder, CO $85,461

Worcester, MA $85,396

Portland, OR $85,323

Saint Paul, MN $85,225

Minneapolis, MN $85,225

Philadelphia, PA $85,111

Honolulu, HI $84,679

Springfield, MA $84,394

Providence, RI $84,386

Chicago, IL $84,150

Bellingham, WA $84,052

Baltimore, MD $83,963

Chico, CA $83,759

Wilmington, DE $83,621

Pittsfield, MA $83,539

Manchester, NH $83,385

Spokane, WA $83,026

Denver, CO $83,018

Albany, NY $82,636

Troy, NY $82,603

Schenectady, NY $82,432

Burlington, VT $82,253

Portland, ME $81,968

Salem, OR $81,903

Yakima, WA $81,886

Ann Arbor, MI $81,862

Rochester, MN $81,634

Fresno, CA $81,593

Reno, NV $81,593

Milwaukee, WI $81,520

Detroit, MI $81,439

Allentown, PA $81,414

Carson City, NV $81,406

Houston, TX $81,284

Colorado Springs, CO $81,276

Syracuse, NY $81,235

Eugene, OR $81,080

Bismarck, ND $80,983

Gary, IN $80,983

Galveston, TX $80,983

Springfield, OR $80,917

Medford, OR $80,722

Fort Collins, CO $80,689

Austin, TX $80,624

Mesa, AZ $80,453

Phoenix, AZ $80,437

Dallas, TX $80,413

Reading, PA $80,364

Saint Cloud, MN $80,331

Concord, NH $80,258

Madison, WI $80,225

Utica, NY $80,005

Raleigh, NC $79,940

Las Vegas, NV $79,932

Rochester, NY $79,875

Des Moines, IA $79,867

Atlanta, GA $79,737

Battle Creek, MI $79,712

Salt Lake City, UT $79,688

Lancaster, PA $79,566

Champaign, IL $79,549

Harrisburg, PA $79,452

Durham, NC $79,378

Kansas City, MO $79,370

Kansas City, KS $79,354

Fort Worth, TX $79,346

Boca Raton, FL $79,313

Cleveland, OH $79,305

Columbus, OH $79,289

Pittsburgh, PA $79,281

Richmond, VA $79,248

Indianapolis, IN $79,232

Cincinnati, OH $79,126

Petersburg, VA $79,004

Billings, MT $78,825

Lansing, MI $78,825

Huntsville, AL $78,825

Lebanon, PA $78,816

Dayton, OH $78,808

Pueblo, CO $78,808

Appleton, WI $78,784

Buffalo, NY $78,751

Racine, WI $78,711

Charlotte, NC $78,702

Saint Louis, MO $78,678

Springfield, IL $78,645

Elkhart, IN $78,629

York, PA $78,629

Gastonia, NC $78,621

Benton Harbor, MI $78,621

Beaumont, TX $78,572

Lorain, OH $78,556

Toledo, OH $78,523

Binghamton, NY $78,483

Rock Hill, SC $78,474

Rockford, IL $78,434

Fargo, ND $78,393

Elyria, OH $78,393

Flagstaff, AZ $78,336

Fort Lauderdale, FL $78,287

Miami, FL $78,238

Duluth, MN $78,108

Bangor, ME $78,002

Cedar Rapids, IA $77,913

Louisville, KY $77,872

Grand Rapids, MI $77,856

Hialeah, FL $77,847

Casper, WY $77,733

Scranton, PA $77,636

New Orleans, LA $77,611

Virginia Beach, VA $77,603

Akron, OH $77,562

Peoria, IL $77,457

Sarasota, FL $77,440

Green Bay, WI $77,383

Baton Rouge, LA $77,343

Charleston, SC $77,326

Nashville, TN $77,302

Jamestown, NY $77,286

Davenport, IA $77,286

Tucson, AZ $77,245

Cheyenne, WY $77,220

Saint Petersburg, FL $77,196

Tampa, FL $77,180

Omaha, NE $77,163

Port Arthur, TX $77,131

Evansville, IN $77,131

Bradenton, FL $77,098

Santa Fe, NM $76,952

Orlando, FL $76,870

Clearwater, FL $76,781

Canton, OH $76,610

La Crosse, WI $76,610

Grand Forks, ND $76,585

Albuquerque, NM $76,561

Tulsa, OK $76,561

Newport News, VA $76,553

High Point, NC $76,528

Ogden, UT $76,496

Corpus Christi, TX $76,431

Laramie, WY $76,382

Norfolk, VA $76,382

Rock Island, IL $76,333

Saginaw, MI $76,317

Jacksonville, FL $76,308

Salisbury, NC $76,292

Memphis, TN $76,276

Moline, IL $76,235

Fort Myers, FL $76,211

Waterloo, IA $76,105

Spartanburg, SC $76,023

Lincoln, NE $75,983

Fort Wayne, IN $75,966

Birmingham, AL $75,877

Cedar Falls, IA $75,861

Provo, UT $75,852

Springfield, OH $75,844

San Antonio, TX $75,828

Greensboro, NC $75,795

South Bend, IN $75,787

Winston Salem, NC $75,779

Boise, ID $75,755

Savannah, GA $75,698

Muskegon, MI $75,551

Lima, OH $75,453

Lake Charles, LA $75,421

Anderson, IN $75,405

Lexington, KY $75,380

Augusta, GA $75,356

Greenville, SC $75,356

Wichita, KS $75,282

Tuscaloosa, AL $75,282

Columbia, SC $75,209

Bloomington, IN $75,006

Roanoke, VA $74,957

Asheville, NC $74,851

Knoxville, TN $74,712

Shreveport, LA $74,704

Wilmington, NC $74,598

Frankfort, KY $74,444

Oklahoma City, OK $74,387

Chillicothe, OH $74,354

Longview, TX $74,346

Topeka, KS $74,322

Mobile, AL $74,199

Terre Haute, IN $74,167

Erie, PA $74,159

Altoona, PA $74,118

Melbourne, FL $74,094

Amarillo, TX $74,061

Killeen, TX $74,037

Fayetteville, AR $73,971

Sioux Falls, SD $73,914

Chattanooga, TN $73,866

Idaho Falls, ID $73,857

Gainesville, FL $73,686

Portsmouth, OH $73,646

Little Rock, AR $73,629

Lynchburg, VA $73,629

Lafayette, LA $73,597

Youngstown, OH $73,597

Temple, TX $73,564

Daytona Beach, FL $73,548

Clarksville, TN $73,540

Pensacola, FL $73,532

Hopkinsville, KY $73,287

Charleston, WV $73,279

Florence, SC $73,239

Sioux City, IA $73,190

Macon, GA $72,953

Tallahassee, FL $72,945

Fayetteville, NC $72,929

Waco, TX $72,913

Wichita Falls, TX $72,913

Pine Bluff, AR $72,880

Vincennes, IN $72,725

Lubbock, TX $72,693

Great Falls, MT $72,644

Alamogordo, NM $72,636

Abilene, TX $72,571

Rapid City, SD $72,465

Monroe, LA $72,465

Albany, GA $72,416

Huntington, WV $72,408

Jackson, MS $72,400

Greenville, MS $72,392

Parkersburg, WV $72,310

Montgomery, AL $72,294

Johnstown, PA $72,278

Springfield, MO $72,212

Biloxi, MS $72,172

Sumter, SC $72,001

Columbus, GA $71,993

Twin Falls, ID $71,944

Pascagoula, MS $71,838

Kingsport, TN $71,626

Gulfport, MS $71,602

Alexandria, LA $71,333

Fort Smith, AR $71,129

El Paso, TX $70,910

Helena, MT $70,804

Las Cruces, NM $70,543

Harlingen, TX $70,315

Pocatello, ID $70,242

Florence, AL $70,217

Brownsville, TX $70,201

Dothan, AL $70,071

Mcallen, TX $70,030

Columbus, MS $69,428

Altus, OK $69,053

Lawton, OK $68,898

Pierre, SD $68,605

What Skills Can Increase a Pipeline Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 8.55% 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.
Product Quality (Mentioned in 4.69% Job Postings): Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes.
Repairing (Mentioned in 1.37% Job Postings): To put something that is damaged, broken, or not working correctly, back into good condition or make it work again.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	8.55%
Product Quality	4.69%
Repairing	1.37%

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 Pipeline Operator's salary.

Land Development: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Sense Of Urgency: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Land Development	$85,502	5%
Sense Of Urgency	$85,502	5%
Coaching	$84,688	4%
Planning	$83,059	2%
Initiative	$83,059	2%
Collaboration	$83,059	2%

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How Education impacts a Pipeline Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Pipeline 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 a Pipeline Operator with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $72,833 and $75,649).

Pipeline Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Pipeline Operator

No Diploma 33.3%

High School 33.3%

Associates 50.0%

Bachelors 16.7%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	33.3%
High School	33.3%
Associates	50.0%
Bachelors	16.7%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Pipeline 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

$76,301

Average $81,430/year

$88,754

$6,358

Average $6,786/month

$7,396

$1,467

Average $1,566/week

$1,707

$37

Average $39/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$88,754	$7,396	$1,707	$43
Average	$81,430	$6,786	$1,566	$39
25th Percentile	$76,301	$6,358	$1,467	$37

Salaries of jobs related to Pipeline Operator

Salary Trends for Pipeline Operator

Salaries for a Pipeline Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $80,838 in 2023 to around $77,508 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Pipeline Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Pipeline Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$80,838

2024

$78,474

2025

$77,508

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$80,838
2024	$78,474
2025	$77,508
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Pipeline Operator

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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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