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

An Unit Operator's salary grows with experience: a Machine Operator I (0-1 years)earns $41,439, a Unit Operator (1-3 years)earns $46,048, a Machine Operator III (3-5 years)earns $52,234, a Machine Operator IV (5-7 years)earns $56,169, a Machine Operator Supervisor (7+ years)earns $81,517,

What are the highest paying states for an Unit Operator?

Unit Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Unit Operator roles are District of Columbia $51,384, California $51,189, Massachusetts $50,507. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Unit Operator roles make?

Salaries for Unit Operator level roles vary by specialization: Unit Controller: $255,294; Unit Director: $170,478; Unit Leader: $80,673; Unit Manager: $78,134; Unit Accountant: $72,093.

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

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

Unit Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Unit Operator in the United States is $46,409 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $55,781
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,913 to $51,315
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $37,820

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Unit Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$51,315	$4,276	$987	$25
Average	$46,409	$3,867	$892	$22
25th Percentile	$41,913	$3,493	$806	$20

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Key Factors That Influence Unit Operator Salaries

An Unit 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 Unit Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Unit 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): $41,439
Early Career (1-2 years): $46,048
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $52,234
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $56,169
Expert (over 8 years): $81,517

Levels	Salary
Machine O... Level Unit Operator	$41,439
Unit Oper... Level Unit Operator	$46,048
Machine O... Level Unit Operator	$52,234
Machine O... Level Unit Operator	$56,169
Machine O... Level Unit Operator	$81,517

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $51,384.
California: $51,189.
Massachusetts: $50,507.

District of Columbia $51,384

California $51,189

Massachusetts $50,507

Washington $50,321

New Jersey $50,303

Alaska $50,238

Connecticut $49,598

New York $49,338

Hawaii $48,507

Rhode Island $48,117

Maryland $47,853

Minnesota $47,491

Colorado $47,351

Illinois $47,305

Oregon $47,129

Delaware $46,999

New Hampshire $46,917

Virginia $46,734

Pennsylvania $46,200

Nevada $45,931

North Dakota $45,843

Michigan $45,704

Wisconsin $45,653

Vermont $45,551

Texas $45,268

Maine $45,249

Arizona $45,221

Ohio $45,189

Georgia $44,762

Indiana $44,548

Wyoming $44,506

Utah $44,441

Iowa $44,414

Kansas $44,191

Louisiana $44,126

North Carolina $44,103

Missouri $44,093

Florida $43,912

Montana $43,815

Nebraska $43,722

Kentucky $43,671

South Carolina $43,485

Tennessee $43,369

Idaho $43,323

New Mexico $42,984

Oklahoma $42,910

Alabama $42,636

South Dakota $42,177

Arkansas $41,926

West Virginia $41,791

Mississippi $41,388

Top Paying Cities for Unit 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: $58,536
San Francisco: $57,960
Oakland: $56,675

San Jose, CA $58,536

San Francisco, CA $57,960

Oakland, CA $56,675

New York, NY $53,784

Queens Village, NY $53,436

Paramus, NJ $53,064

Passaic, NJ $53,018

Bergenfield, NJ $52,971

Stamford, CT $52,902

Huntington, NY $52,855

Newark, NJ $52,554

Bridgeport, CT $52,461

New Brunswick, NJ $52,308

Vallejo, CA $52,210

Middlesex, NJ $52,183

Somerset, NJ $52,141

Petaluma, CA $52,034

Santa Cruz, CA $51,853

Boston, MA $51,760

Monterey, CA $51,528

Fairbanks, AK $51,496

Los Angeles, CA $51,407

Washington, DC $51,384

Seattle, WA $51,301

Santa Rosa, CA $51,291

Juneau, AK $51,157

Orange, CA $51,004

Anchorage, AK $50,920

Anaheim, CA $50,888

Santa Ana, CA $50,818

Nassau, NY $50,790

Long Beach, CA $50,772

Danbury, CT $50,758

Santa Maria, CA $50,600

Everett, WA $50,591

Bremerton, WA $50,363

Trenton, NJ $50,275

Sacramento, CA $50,257

San Diego, CA $50,233

Brockton, MA $50,215

Tacoma, WA $50,196

Santa Barbara, CA $50,131

Lowell, MA $49,946

New Suffolk, NY $49,927

Nashua, NH $49,871

Lompoc, CA $49,797

Ventura, CA $49,751

Stockton, CA $49,737

New Haven, CT $49,644

Atlantic City, NJ $49,523

Hartford, CT $49,421

Modesto, CA $49,398

Poughkeepsie, NY $49,296

New Britain, CT $49,273

Olympia, WA $49,208

Kennewick, WA $49,208

New London, CT $49,198

Norwich, CT $49,184

Lawrence, MA $49,161

Bakersfield, CA $49,031

Riverside, CA $48,966

New Bedford, MA $48,966

Richland, WA $48,920

Portsmouth, NH $48,883

Vineland, NJ $48,874

San Bernardino, CA $48,836

Boulder, CO $48,706

Worcester, MA $48,669

Portland, OR $48,628

Saint Paul, MN $48,572

Minneapolis, MN $48,572

Philadelphia, PA $48,507

Honolulu, HI $48,261

Springfield, MA $48,098

Providence, RI $48,094

Chicago, IL $47,959

Bellingham, WA $47,904

Baltimore, MD $47,853

Chico, CA $47,737

Wilmington, DE $47,658

Pittsfield, MA $47,611

Manchester, NH $47,523

Spokane, WA $47,319

Denver, CO $47,314

Albany, NY $47,096

Troy, NY $47,077

Schenectady, NY $46,980

Burlington, VT $46,878

Portland, ME $46,716

Salem, OR $46,678

Yakima, WA $46,669

Ann Arbor, MI $46,655

Rochester, MN $46,525

Fresno, CA $46,502

Reno, NV $46,502

Milwaukee, WI $46,460

Detroit, MI $46,414

Allentown, PA $46,400

Carson City, NV $46,395

Houston, TX $46,326

Colorado Springs, CO $46,321

Syracuse, NY $46,298

Eugene, OR $46,210

Bismarck, ND $46,154

Gary, IN $46,154

Galveston, TX $46,154

Springfield, OR $46,117

Medford, OR $46,005

Fort Collins, CO $45,987

Austin, TX $45,950

Mesa, AZ $45,852

Phoenix, AZ $45,843

Dallas, TX $45,829

Reading, PA $45,801

Saint Cloud, MN $45,783

Concord, NH $45,741

Madison, WI $45,722

Utica, NY $45,597

Raleigh, NC $45,560

Las Vegas, NV $45,555

Rochester, NY $45,523

Des Moines, IA $45,518

Atlanta, GA $45,444

Battle Creek, MI $45,430

Salt Lake City, UT $45,416

Lancaster, PA $45,346

Champaign, IL $45,337

Harrisburg, PA $45,281

Durham, NC $45,240

Kansas City, MO $45,235

Kansas City, KS $45,226

Fort Worth, TX $45,221

Boca Raton, FL $45,203

Cleveland, OH $45,198

Columbus, OH $45,189

Pittsburgh, PA $45,184

Richmond, VA $45,165

Indianapolis, IN $45,156

Cincinnati, OH $45,096

Petersburg, VA $45,026

Billings, MT $44,924

Lansing, MI $44,924

Huntsville, AL $44,924

Lebanon, PA $44,919

Dayton, OH $44,915

Pueblo, CO $44,915

Appleton, WI $44,901

Buffalo, NY $44,882

Racine, WI $44,859

Charlotte, NC $44,854

Saint Louis, MO $44,841

Springfield, IL $44,822

Elkhart, IN $44,813

York, PA $44,813

Gastonia, NC $44,808

Benton Harbor, MI $44,808

Beaumont, TX $44,780

Lorain, OH $44,771

Toledo, OH $44,752

Binghamton, NY $44,729

Rock Hill, SC $44,725

Rockford, IL $44,701

Fargo, ND $44,678

Elyria, OH $44,678

Flagstaff, AZ $44,646

Fort Lauderdale, FL $44,618

Miami, FL $44,590

Duluth, MN $44,516

Bangor, ME $44,455

Cedar Rapids, IA $44,404

Louisville, KY $44,381

Grand Rapids, MI $44,372

Hialeah, FL $44,367

Casper, WY $44,302

Scranton, PA $44,247

New Orleans, LA $44,233

Virginia Beach, VA $44,228

Akron, OH $44,205

Peoria, IL $44,144

Sarasota, FL $44,135

Green Bay, WI $44,103

Baton Rouge, LA $44,079

Charleston, SC $44,070

Nashville, TN $44,056

Jamestown, NY $44,047

Davenport, IA $44,047

Tucson, AZ $44,024

Cheyenne, WY $44,010

Saint Petersburg, FL $43,996

Tampa, FL $43,987

Omaha, NE $43,977

Port Arthur, TX $43,959

Evansville, IN $43,959

Bradenton, FL $43,940

Santa Fe, NM $43,857

Orlando, FL $43,810

Clearwater, FL $43,759

Canton, OH $43,662

La Crosse, WI $43,662

Grand Forks, ND $43,648

Albuquerque, NM $43,634

Tulsa, OK $43,634

Newport News, VA $43,629

High Point, NC $43,615

Ogden, UT $43,597

Corpus Christi, TX $43,560

Laramie, WY $43,532

Norfolk, VA $43,532

Rock Island, IL $43,504

Saginaw, MI $43,495

Jacksonville, FL $43,490

Salisbury, NC $43,481

Memphis, TN $43,471

Moline, IL $43,448

Fort Myers, FL $43,434

Waterloo, IA $43,374

Spartanburg, SC $43,328

Lincoln, NE $43,304

Fort Wayne, IN $43,295

Birmingham, AL $43,244

Cedar Falls, IA $43,235

Provo, UT $43,230

Springfield, OH $43,226

San Antonio, TX $43,216

Greensboro, NC $43,198

South Bend, IN $43,193

Winston Salem, NC $43,188

Boise, ID $43,174

Savannah, GA $43,142

Muskegon, MI $43,058

Lima, OH $43,003

Lake Charles, LA $42,984

Anderson, IN $42,975

Lexington, KY $42,961

Augusta, GA $42,947

Greenville, SC $42,947

Wichita, KS $42,905

Tuscaloosa, AL $42,905

Columbia, SC $42,864

Bloomington, IN $42,748

Roanoke, VA $42,720

Asheville, NC $42,659

Knoxville, TN $42,580

Shreveport, LA $42,576

Wilmington, NC $42,515

Frankfort, KY $42,427

Oklahoma City, OK $42,395

Chillicothe, OH $42,376

Longview, TX $42,372

Topeka, KS $42,358

Mobile, AL $42,288

Terre Haute, IN $42,269

Erie, PA $42,265

Altoona, PA $42,242

Melbourne, FL $42,228

Amarillo, TX $42,209

Killeen, TX $42,195

Fayetteville, AR $42,158

Sioux Falls, SD $42,126

Chattanooga, TN $42,098

Idaho Falls, ID $42,093

Gainesville, FL $41,996

Portsmouth, OH $41,972

Little Rock, AR $41,963

Lynchburg, VA $41,963

Lafayette, LA $41,945

Youngstown, OH $41,945

Temple, TX $41,926

Daytona Beach, FL $41,917

Clarksville, TN $41,912

Pensacola, FL $41,908

Hopkinsville, KY $41,768

Charleston, WV $41,764

Florence, SC $41,740

Sioux City, IA $41,713

Macon, GA $41,578

Tallahassee, FL $41,573

Fayetteville, NC $41,564

Waco, TX $41,555

Wichita Falls, TX $41,555

Pine Bluff, AR $41,536

Vincennes, IN $41,448

Lubbock, TX $41,429

Great Falls, MT $41,402

Alamogordo, NM $41,397

Abilene, TX $41,360

Rapid City, SD $41,300

Monroe, LA $41,300

Albany, GA $41,272

Huntington, WV $41,267

Jackson, MS $41,262

Greenville, MS $41,258

Parkersburg, WV $41,211

Montgomery, AL $41,202

Johnstown, PA $41,193

Springfield, MO $41,156

Biloxi, MS $41,132

Sumter, SC $41,035

Columbus, GA $41,030

Twin Falls, ID $41,003

Pascagoula, MS $40,942

Kingsport, TN $40,822

Gulfport, MS $40,808

Alexandria, LA $40,654

Fort Smith, AR $40,538

El Paso, TX $40,413

Helena, MT $40,353

Las Cruces, NM $40,204

Harlingen, TX $40,074

Pocatello, ID $40,033

Florence, AL $40,019

Brownsville, TX $40,009

Dothan, AL $39,935

Mcallen, TX $39,912

Columbus, MS $39,568

Altus, OK $39,355

Lawton, OK $39,267

Pierre, SD $39,100

What Skills Can Increase an Unit 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 Unit 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	$50,122	8%
Dedication	$49,658	7%
Collaboration	$48,266	4%
Leadership	$47,801	3%
Initiative	$47,801	3%
SOP	$47,337	2%

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How Education impacts an Unit Operator's Salary?

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

Unit Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Unit 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

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

Understanding how an Unit 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

$41,913

Average $46,409/year

$51,315

$3,493

Average $3,867/month

$4,276

$806

Average $892/week

$987

$20

Average $22/hour

$25

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$51,315	$4,276	$987	$25
Average	$46,409	$3,867	$892	$22
25th Percentile	$41,913	$3,493	$806	$20

Salaries of jobs related to Unit Operator

Salary Trends for Unit Operator

Salaries for an Unit 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 Unit Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Unit 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 Unit 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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