An Annotator'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 Annotator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Annotator'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): $54,226
Early Career (1-2 years): $54,311
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $54,932
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $56,879
Expert (over 8 years): $57,144
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Annotator
$54,226
Intermediate Level Annotator
$54,311
Senior Level Annotator
$54,932
Specialist Level Annotator
$56,879
Expert Level Annotator
$57,144
$54,2260 yr
$54,311< 2 yrs
$54,9322-4 yrs
$56,8795-8 yrs
$57,144> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Annotator 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 Annotators.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $62,291.
California: $62,054.
Massachusetts: $61,227.
District of Columbia$62,291
California$62,054
Massachusetts$61,227
Washington$61,002
New Jersey$60,980
Alaska$60,901
Connecticut$60,125
New York$59,810
Hawaii$58,803
Rhode Island$58,330
Maryland$58,009
Minnesota$57,570
Colorado$57,402
Illinois$57,345
Oregon$57,132
Delaware$56,974
New Hampshire$56,875
Virginia$56,653
Pennsylvania$56,006
Nevada$55,680
North Dakota$55,573
Michigan$55,404
Wisconsin$55,343
Vermont$55,219
Texas$54,876
Maine$54,853
Arizona$54,819
Ohio$54,780
Georgia$54,262
Indiana$54,004
Wyoming$53,953
Utah$53,874
Iowa$53,840
Kansas$53,570
Louisiana$53,492
North Carolina$53,463
Missouri$53,452
Florida$53,233
Montana$53,115
Nebraska$53,002
Kentucky$52,940
South Carolina$52,715
Tennessee$52,575
Idaho$52,518
New Mexico$52,108
Oklahoma$52,018
Alabama$51,686
South Dakota$51,129
Arkansas$50,825
West Virginia$50,662
Mississippi$50,172
Top Paying Cities for Annotators
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: $70,960
San Francisco: $70,183
Oakland: $68,704
San Jose, CA$70,960
San Francisco, CA$70,183
Oakland, CA$68,704
New York, NY$64,777
Paramus, NJ$63,989
Queens Village, NY$63,986
Passaic, NJ$63,933
Bergenfield, NJ$63,928
Stamford, CT$63,804
Huntington, NY$63,781
Newark, NJ$63,365
Bridgeport, CT$63,246
Vallejo, CA$63,135
New Brunswick, NJ$63,112
Petaluma, CA$63,078
Middlesex, NJ$62,971
Somerset, NJ$62,932
Santa Cruz, CA$62,859
Boston, MA$62,516
Monterey, CA$62,318
Seattle, WA$62,189
Santa Rosa, CA$62,178
Los Angeles, CA$62,161
Juneau, AK$62,015
Washington, DC$61,953
Orange, CA$61,753
Santa Ana, CA$61,604
Long Beach, CA$61,548
Anaheim, CA$61,537
Anchorage, AK$61,509
Santa Maria, CA$61,340
Everett, WA$61,329
Danbury, CT$61,131
Bremerton, WA$61,053
Tacoma, WA$60,850
New Suffolk, NY$60,849
Sacramento, CA$60,834
Santa Barbara, CA$60,772
Trenton, NJ$60,710
San Diego, CA$60,710
Brockton, MA$60,648
Fairbanks, AK$60,510
Lompoc, CA$60,367
Lowell, MA$60,321
Ventura, CA$60,310
Nashua, NH$60,299
Stockton, CA$60,293
Modesto, CA$59,883
Poughkeepsie, NY$59,759
Olympia, WA$59,652
Kennewick, WA$59,652
New Haven, CT$59,630
Lawrence, MA$59,427
Hartford, CT$59,371
Riverside, CA$59,360
New Bedford, MA$59,303
Richland, WA$59,303
Bakersfield, CA$59,224
San Bernardino, CA$59,202
New Britain, CT$59,196
Atlantic City, NJ$59,196
New London, CT$59,174
Norwich, CT$59,157
Portsmouth, NH$59,146
Boulder, CO$59,026
Portland, OR$58,949
Worcester, MA$58,943
Minneapolis, MN$58,769
Philadelphia, PA$58,690
Honolulu, HI$58,504
Saint Paul, MN$58,477
Vineland, NJ$58,465
Providence, RI$58,302
Chicago, IL$58,139
Bellingham, WA$58,071
Springfield, MA$58,026
Baltimore, MD$58,009
Chico, CA$57,869
Pittsfield, MA$57,717
Manchester, NH$57,610
Spokane, WA$57,362
Denver, CO$57,357
Albany, NY$57,092
Troy, NY$57,070
Nassau, NY$57,010
Schenectady, NY$56,952
Wilmington, DE$56,907
Burlington, VT$56,828
Salem, OR$56,805
Portland, ME$56,631
Yakima, WA$56,575
Rochester, MN$56,400
Reno, NV$56,372
Fresno, CA$56,372
Milwaukee, WI$56,321
Detroit, MI$56,265
Ann Arbor, MI$56,256
Allentown, PA$56,248
Colorado Springs, CO$56,153
Syracuse, NY$56,125
Carson City, NV$56,125
Houston, TX$56,046
Eugene, OR$56,018
Gary, IN$55,950
Springfield, OR$55,905
Bismarck, ND$55,894
Galveston, TX$55,855
Medford, OR$55,770
Fort Collins, CO$55,748
Concord, NH$55,720
Austin, TX$55,703
Mesa, AZ$55,584
Reading, PA$55,579
Phoenix, AZ$55,573
Dallas, TX$55,556
Saint Cloud, MN$55,502
Madison, WI$55,427
Utica, NY$55,275
Rochester, NY$55,185
Des Moines, IA$55,179
Raleigh, NC$55,174
Atlanta, GA$55,089
Battle Creek, MI$55,073
Salt Lake City, UT$55,056
Lancaster, PA$54,971
Harrisburg, PA$54,892
Kansas City, MO$54,836
Champaign, IL$54,825
Kansas City, KS$54,825
Fort Worth, TX$54,819
Columbus, OH$54,810
Boca Raton, FL$54,797
Pittsburgh, PA$54,774
Richmond, VA$54,752
Indianapolis, IN$54,741
Cleveland, OH$54,735
Las Vegas, NV$54,667
Cincinnati, OH$54,667
Petersburg, VA$54,583
Huntsville, AL$54,499
Lansing, MI$54,461
Lebanon, PA$54,454
Pueblo, CO$54,448
Appleton, WI$54,431
Buffalo, NY$54,409
Dayton, OH$54,392
Racine, WI$54,381
Charlotte, NC$54,375
Saint Louis, MO$54,358
York, PA$54,324
Elkhart, IN$54,324
Gastonia, NC$54,314
Billings, MT$54,300
Beaumont, TX$54,285
Lorain, OH$54,274
Benton Harbor, MI$54,262
Toledo, OH$54,251
Binghamton, NY$54,223
Rock Hill, SC$54,217
Rockford, IL$54,189
Springfield, IL$54,167
Elyria, OH$54,161
Fargo, ND$54,161
Flagstaff, AZ$54,122
Fort Lauderdale, FL$54,088
Duluth, MN$54,054
Miami, FL$54,054
Cheyenne, WY$54,015
Grand Forks, ND$54,015
Bangor, ME$53,891
Cedar Rapids, IA$53,829
Durham, NC$53,806
Louisville, KY$53,801
Grand Rapids, MI$53,790
Hialeah, FL$53,784
Casper, WY$53,705
Scranton, PA$53,638
New Orleans, LA$53,621
Virginia Beach, VA$53,615
Akron, OH$53,587
Peoria, IL$53,514
Sarasota, FL$53,503
Nashville, TN$53,463
Omaha, NE$53,463
Green Bay, WI$53,463
Baton Rouge, LA$53,435
Charleston, SC$53,424
Jamestown, NY$53,396
Davenport, IA$53,396
Tucson, AZ$53,368
Saint Petersburg, FL$53,334
Tampa, FL$53,323
Evansville, IN$53,289
Port Arthur, TX$53,289
Bradenton, FL$53,267
Santa Fe, NM$53,165
Orlando, FL$53,064
Clearwater, FL$53,047
Canton, OH$52,929
La Crosse, WI$52,929
Albuquerque, NM$52,895
Newport News, VA$52,890
High Point, NC$52,873
Ogden, UT$52,850
Corpus Christi, TX$52,805
Norfolk, VA$52,772
Laramie, WY$52,772
Rock Island, IL$52,738
Saginaw, MI$52,726
Jacksonville, FL$52,721
Salisbury, NC$52,710
Boise, ID$52,698
Moline, IL$52,670
Fort Myers, FL$52,653
Memphis, TN$52,642
Tulsa, OK$52,614
Waterloo, IA$52,580
Spartanburg, SC$52,524
Lincoln, NE$52,496
Fort Wayne, IN$52,485
Provo, UT$52,479
Cedar Falls, IA$52,411
San Antonio, TX$52,389
Greensboro, NC$52,366
South Bend, IN$52,361
Savannah, GA$52,299
Muskegon, MI$52,276
Birmingham, AL$52,271
Winston Salem, NC$52,243
Lake Charles, LA$52,108
Anderson, IN$52,096
Lexington, KY$52,080
Augusta, GA$52,063
Greenville, SC$52,063
Lima, OH$52,018
Wichita, KS$52,012
Tuscaloosa, AL$52,012
Columbia, SC$51,961
Springfield, OH$51,950
Asheville, NC$51,860
Bloomington, IN$51,821
Knoxville, TN$51,618
Shreveport, LA$51,613
Wilmington, NC$51,539
Roanoke, VA$51,539
Topeka, KS$51,438
Frankfort, KY$51,432
Oklahoma City, OK$51,393
Chillicothe, OH$51,371
Longview, TX$51,365
Melbourne, FL$51,359
Sioux Falls, SD$51,269
Mobile, AL$51,264
Terre Haute, IN$51,241
Altoona, PA$51,207
Amarillo, TX$51,168
Killeen, TX$51,151
Fayetteville, AR$51,106
Chattanooga, TN$51,089
Sioux City, IA$51,039
Idaho Falls, ID$51,027
Lynchburg, VA$50,982
Gainesville, FL$50,909
Portsmouth, OH$50,881
Little Rock, AR$50,870
Lafayette, LA$50,847
Youngstown, OH$50,847
Daytona Beach, FL$50,814
Clarksville, TN$50,808
Pensacola, FL$50,802
Temple, TX$50,798
Hopkinsville, KY$50,634
Erie, PA$50,622
Florence, SC$50,600
Charleston, WV$50,510
Great Falls, MT$50,482
Macon, GA$50,403
Tallahassee, FL$50,397
Fayetteville, NC$50,386
Waco, TX$50,375
Helena, MT$50,335
Pine Bluff, AR$50,314
Vincennes, IN$50,245
Lubbock, TX$50,223
Alamogordo, NM$50,189
Twin Falls, ID$50,139
Rapid City, SD$50,122
Jackson, MS$50,020
Huntington, WV$50,016
Greenville, MS$50,015
Parkersburg, WV$49,957
Montgomery, AL$49,947
Wichita Falls, TX$49,891
Springfield, MO$49,891
Biloxi, MS$49,863
Monroe, LA$49,807
Johnstown, PA$49,767
Sumter, SC$49,745
Columbus, GA$49,739
Pascagoula, MS$49,632
Abilene, TX$49,632
Kingsport, TN$49,486
Albany, GA$49,486
Gulfport, MS$49,469
Alexandria, LA$49,283
Fort Smith, AR$49,143
El Paso, TX$48,991
Las Cruces, NM$48,738
Harlingen, TX$48,595
Pocatello, ID$48,586
Florence, AL$48,513
Brownsville, TX$48,501
Mcallen, TX$48,383
Dothan, AL$48,304
Columbus, MS$47,970
Altus, OK$47,708
Lawton, OK$47,601
Pierre, SD$47,399
What Skills Can Increase an Annotator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Team Building (Mentioned in 7.25% Job Postings): Shaping a group of individuals into a cohesive and effective unit, focused on a central objective.
Microsoft Word (Mentioned in 3.12% Job Postings): Microsoft Word or MS Word is a popular word-processing program used mainly for creating documents, such as brochures, letters, learning activities, quizzes, tests, and students' homework assignments
Computer Literacy (Mentioned in 2.56% Job Postings): Ability to use computers and related technology efficiently.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Team Building
7.25%
Microsoft Word
3.12%
Computer Literacy
2.56%
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 Annotator's salary.
Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Digital Video: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Corporate Security: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Risk Management
$70,325
25%
Digital Video
$70,325
25%
Corporate Security
$68,637
22%
Field Operations
$67,512
20%
Attention to Detail
$63,011
12%
Listening
$63,011
12%
Get Latest Data
Annotator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Annotator roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Hospitality & Leisure,
offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely,
Annotator positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Annotator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for an Annotator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Hospitality & Leisure
$61,886
$30.0
10%
How Education impacts an Annotator's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Annotators 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 Annotator with a No Diploma is between
$49,862
and $53,574).
Annotator Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Annotator
No Diploma46.7%
High School46.7%
Associates33.3%
Bachelors6.7%
Masters13.3%
Doctorate0.0%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
46.7%
High School
46.7%
Associates
33.3%
Bachelors
6.7%
Masters
13.3%
Doctorate
0.0%
view as graph
Annotator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Annotator'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.
Salaries for an Annotator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $78,382 in 2023
to around $75,535 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Annotator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Annotator Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$78,382
2024
$77,441
2025
$75,535
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$78,382
2024
$77,441
2025
$75,535
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Annotator
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Annotator
Here are companies hiring for Annotator and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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