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

A System Operator's salary grows with experience: a Computer Operator I (0-1 years)earns $48,753, a System Operator (1-3 years)earns $61,098, a Computer Operator III (3-5 years)earns $67,786, a Computer Operations Shift Supervisor (5+ years)earns $91,261, a Computer Operations Supervisor (5+ years)earns $108,994,

What are the highest paying states for a System Operator?

System Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for System Operator roles are District of Columbia $67,015, California $66,761, Massachusetts $65,871. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of System Operator roles make?

Salaries for System Operator level roles vary by specialization: Distribution System Operator: $117,597; Fuel Distribution System Operator: $115,223; Senior Power System Operator: $108,300; Water System Operator: $97,042; Transmission System Operator: $93,820.

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

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

System Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a System Operator in the United States is $60,527 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $77,277
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,295 to $69,294
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,801

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System Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,294	$5,775	$1,333	$33
Average	$60,527	$5,044	$1,164	$29
25th Percentile	$52,295	$4,358	$1,006	$25

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Check out System Operator Job Openings in the United States

Distribution System Operator

FirstEnergy Corp. - Akron, OH

Utility System Repairer

US Department of Veterans Affairs - Cleveland, OH

System Maintenance Network Operator

SBT Global, Inc. - Jeffersonville, OH

Epic Beaker Senior System Analyst

OhioHealth - GRANDVIEW, OH

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Key Factors That Influence System Operator Salaries

A System 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 System Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a System 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): $48,753
Early Career (1-2 years): $61,098
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $67,786
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $91,261
Expert (over 8 years): $108,994

Levels	Salary
Computer ... Level System Operator	$48,753
System Op... Level System Operator	$61,098
Computer ... Level System Operator	$67,786
Computer ... Level System Operator	$91,261
Computer ... Level System Operator	$108,994

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $67,015.
California: $66,761.
Massachusetts: $65,871.

District of Columbia $67,015 California $66,761 Massachusetts $65,871 Washington $65,629 New Jersey $65,605 Alaska $65,520 Connecticut $64,685 New York $64,346

Hawaii $63,262 Rhode Island $62,754 Maryland $62,409 Minnesota $61,937 Colorado $61,755 Illinois $61,695 Oregon $61,465 Delaware $61,295

New Hampshire $61,189 Virginia $60,950 Pennsylvania $60,254 Nevada $59,903 North Dakota $59,788 Michigan $59,606 Wisconsin $59,540 Vermont $59,407

Texas $59,038 Maine $59,013 Arizona $58,977 Ohio $58,935 Georgia $58,378 Indiana $58,099 Wyoming $58,045 Utah $57,960

Iowa $57,924 Kansas $57,633 Louisiana $57,549 North Carolina $57,518 Missouri $57,506 Florida $57,270 Montana $57,143 Nebraska $57,022

Kentucky $56,955 South Carolina $56,713 Tennessee $56,562 Idaho $56,501 New Mexico $56,060 Oklahoma $55,963 Alabama $55,606 South Dakota $55,006

Arkansas $54,680 West Virginia $54,504 Mississippi $53,978

Top Paying Cities for System 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: $76,342
San Francisco: $75,506
Oakland: $73,915

San Jose, CA $76,342

San Francisco, CA $75,506

Oakland, CA $73,915

New York, NY $69,690

Paramus, NJ $68,842

Queens Village, NY $68,839

Passaic, NJ $68,782

Bergenfield, NJ $68,776

Stamford, CT $68,643

Huntington, NY $68,618

Newark, NJ $68,171

Bridgeport, CT $68,043

Vallejo, CA $67,923

New Brunswick, NJ $67,899

Petaluma, CA $67,862

Middlesex, NJ $67,747

Somerset, NJ $67,705

Santa Cruz, CA $67,626

Boston, MA $67,257

Monterey, CA $67,045

Seattle, WA $66,906

Santa Rosa, CA $66,894

Los Angeles, CA $66,876

Juneau, AK $66,718

Washington, DC $66,652

Orange, CA $66,436

Santa Ana, CA $66,277

Long Beach, CA $66,216

Anaheim, CA $66,204

Anchorage, AK $66,174

Santa Maria, CA $65,992

Everett, WA $65,980

Danbury, CT $65,767

Bremerton, WA $65,683

Tacoma, WA $65,465

New Suffolk, NY $65,464

Sacramento, CA $65,447

Santa Barbara, CA $65,381

Trenton, NJ $65,314

San Diego, CA $65,314

Brockton, MA $65,248

Fairbanks, AK $65,099

Lompoc, CA $64,945

Lowell, MA $64,896

Ventura, CA $64,884

Nashua, NH $64,872

Stockton, CA $64,866

Modesto, CA $64,424

Poughkeepsie, NY $64,291

Olympia, WA $64,176

Kennewick, WA $64,176

New Haven, CT $64,152

Lawrence, MA $63,934

Hartford, CT $63,874

Riverside, CA $63,862

New Bedford, MA $63,801

Richland, WA $63,801

Bakersfield, CA $63,716

San Bernardino, CA $63,692

New Britain, CT $63,686

Atlantic City, NJ $63,686

New London, CT $63,662

Norwich, CT $63,644

Portsmouth, NH $63,632

Boulder, CO $63,503

Portland, OR $63,420

Worcester, MA $63,414

Minneapolis, MN $63,226

Philadelphia, PA $63,141

Honolulu, HI $62,942

Saint Paul, MN $62,912

Vineland, NJ $62,899

Providence, RI $62,724

Chicago, IL $62,548

Bellingham, WA $62,475

Springfield, MA $62,427

Baltimore, MD $62,409

Chico, CA $62,258

Pittsfield, MA $62,094

Manchester, NH $61,979

Spokane, WA $61,713

Denver, CO $61,707

Albany, NY $61,422

Troy, NY $61,398

Nassau, NY $61,333

Schenectady, NY $61,271

Wilmington, DE $61,223

Burlington, VT $61,138

Salem, OR $61,114

Portland, ME $60,926

Yakima, WA $60,865

Rochester, MN $60,678

Reno, NV $60,648

Fresno, CA $60,648

Milwaukee, WI $60,593

Detroit, MI $60,533

Ann Arbor, MI $60,522

Allentown, PA $60,514

Colorado Springs, CO $60,411

Syracuse, NY $60,381

Carson City, NV $60,381

Houston, TX $60,296

Eugene, OR $60,266

Gary, IN $60,194

Springfield, OR $60,145

Bismarck, ND $60,133

Galveston, TX $60,091

Medford, OR $60,000

Fort Collins, CO $59,976

Concord, NH $59,945

Austin, TX $59,927

Mesa, AZ $59,800

Reading, PA $59,794

Phoenix, AZ $59,788

Dallas, TX $59,770

Saint Cloud, MN $59,712

Madison, WI $59,631

Utica, NY $59,467

Rochester, NY $59,370

Des Moines, IA $59,364

Raleigh, NC $59,358

Atlanta, GA $59,268

Battle Creek, MI $59,249

Salt Lake City, UT $59,231

Lancaster, PA $59,140

Harrisburg, PA $59,056

Kansas City, MO $58,995

Champaign, IL $58,983

Kansas City, KS $58,983

Fort Worth, TX $58,977

Columbus, OH $58,967

Boca Raton, FL $58,953

Pittsburgh, PA $58,929

Richmond, VA $58,904

Indianapolis, IN $58,892

Cleveland, OH $58,886

Las Vegas, NV $58,814

Cincinnati, OH $58,814

Petersburg, VA $58,723

Huntsville, AL $58,632

Lansing, MI $58,591

Lebanon, PA $58,584

Pueblo, CO $58,578

Appleton, WI $58,559

Buffalo, NY $58,535

Dayton, OH $58,517

Racine, WI $58,505

Charlotte, NC $58,499

Saint Louis, MO $58,481

York, PA $58,444

Elkhart, IN $58,444

Gastonia, NC $58,433

Billings, MT $58,418

Beaumont, TX $58,402

Lorain, OH $58,390

Benton Harbor, MI $58,378

Toledo, OH $58,366

Binghamton, NY $58,335

Rock Hill, SC $58,329

Rockford, IL $58,299

Springfield, IL $58,275

Elyria, OH $58,269

Fargo, ND $58,269

Flagstaff, AZ $58,226

Fort Lauderdale, FL $58,190

Duluth, MN $58,154

Miami, FL $58,154

Cheyenne, WY $58,111

Grand Forks, ND $58,111

Bangor, ME $57,978

Cedar Rapids, IA $57,912

Durham, NC $57,886

Louisville, KY $57,881

Grand Rapids, MI $57,869

Hialeah, FL $57,863

Casper, WY $57,779

Scranton, PA $57,706

New Orleans, LA $57,688

Virginia Beach, VA $57,682

Akron, OH $57,651

Peoria, IL $57,573

Sarasota, FL $57,561

Nashville, TN $57,518

Omaha, NE $57,518

Green Bay, WI $57,518

Baton Rouge, LA $57,488

Charleston, SC $57,476

Jamestown, NY $57,446

Davenport, IA $57,446

Tucson, AZ $57,415

Saint Petersburg, FL $57,379

Tampa, FL $57,367

Evansville, IN $57,331

Port Arthur, TX $57,331

Bradenton, FL $57,306

Santa Fe, NM $57,198

Orlando, FL $57,089

Clearwater, FL $57,070

Canton, OH $56,943

La Crosse, WI $56,943

Albuquerque, NM $56,907

Newport News, VA $56,901

High Point, NC $56,883

Ogden, UT $56,859

Corpus Christi, TX $56,810

Norfolk, VA $56,774

Laramie, WY $56,774

Rock Island, IL $56,738

Saginaw, MI $56,725

Jacksonville, FL $56,719

Salisbury, NC $56,707

Boise, ID $56,695

Moline, IL $56,665

Fort Myers, FL $56,647

Memphis, TN $56,635

Tulsa, OK $56,604

Waterloo, IA $56,568

Spartanburg, SC $56,508

Lincoln, NE $56,477

Fort Wayne, IN $56,465

Provo, UT $56,459

Cedar Falls, IA $56,386

San Antonio, TX $56,362

Greensboro, NC $56,338

South Bend, IN $56,332

Savannah, GA $56,265

Muskegon, MI $56,241

Birmingham, AL $56,235

Winston Salem, NC $56,206

Lake Charles, LA $56,060

Anderson, IN $56,048

Lexington, KY $56,029

Augusta, GA $56,011

Greenville, SC $56,011

Lima, OH $55,963

Wichita, KS $55,957

Tuscaloosa, AL $55,957

Columbia, SC $55,902

Springfield, OH $55,890

Asheville, NC $55,793

Bloomington, IN $55,751

Knoxville, TN $55,533

Shreveport, LA $55,527

Wilmington, NC $55,448

Roanoke, VA $55,448

Topeka, KS $55,339

Frankfort, KY $55,333

Oklahoma City, OK $55,291

Chillicothe, OH $55,267

Longview, TX $55,261

Melbourne, FL $55,255

Sioux Falls, SD $55,158

Mobile, AL $55,152

Terre Haute, IN $55,128

Altoona, PA $55,091

Amarillo, TX $55,049

Killeen, TX $55,031

Fayetteville, AR $54,982

Chattanooga, TN $54,964

Sioux City, IA $54,910

Idaho Falls, ID $54,898

Lynchburg, VA $54,849

Gainesville, FL $54,770

Portsmouth, OH $54,740

Little Rock, AR $54,728

Lafayette, LA $54,704

Youngstown, OH $54,704

Daytona Beach, FL $54,668

Clarksville, TN $54,661

Pensacola, FL $54,655

Temple, TX $54,651

Hopkinsville, KY $54,474

Erie, PA $54,462

Florence, SC $54,438

Charleston, WV $54,341

Great Falls, MT $54,310

Macon, GA $54,226

Tallahassee, FL $54,220

Fayetteville, NC $54,208

Waco, TX $54,195

Helena, MT $54,153

Pine Bluff, AR $54,130

Vincennes, IN $54,056

Lubbock, TX $54,032

Alamogordo, NM $53,996

Twin Falls, ID $53,941

Rapid City, SD $53,923

Jackson, MS $53,814

Huntington, WV $53,810

Greenville, MS $53,808

Parkersburg, WV $53,746

Montgomery, AL $53,735

Wichita Falls, TX $53,675

Springfield, MO $53,675

Biloxi, MS $53,645

Monroe, LA $53,584

Johnstown, PA $53,542

Sumter, SC $53,518

Columbus, GA $53,511

Pascagoula, MS $53,396

Abilene, TX $53,396

Kingsport, TN $53,239

Albany, GA $53,239

Gulfport, MS $53,221

Alexandria, LA $53,021

Fort Smith, AR $52,870

El Paso, TX $52,706

Las Cruces, NM $52,434

Harlingen, TX $52,280

Pocatello, ID $52,271

Florence, AL $52,192

Brownsville, TX $52,180

Mcallen, TX $52,053

Dothan, AL $51,968

Columbus, MS $51,609

Altus, OK $51,326

Lawton, OK $51,211

Pierre, SD $50,994

What Skills Can Increase a System Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 7.27% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
SOP (Mentioned in 3.39% Job Postings): SOP is A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
Computer Science (Mentioned in 2.63% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	7.27%
SOP	3.39%
Computer Science	2.63%

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 System Operator's salary.

Logistics: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Computer Science: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Logistics	$66,579	10%
Computer Science	$65,369	8%
Consulting	$64,763	7%
Planning	$64,158	6%
Networking	$64,158	6%
Incident Response	$64,158	6%

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How Education impacts a System Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many System 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 System Operator with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $55,568 and $59,228).

System Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for System Operator

No Diploma 4.1%

High School 31.7%

Associates 35.9%

Bachelors 25.5%

Masters 2.1%

Doctorate 0.7%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	4.1%
High School	31.7%
Associates	35.9%
Bachelors	25.5%
Masters	2.1%
Doctorate	0.7%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a System 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 May 01, 2026

$52,295

Average $60,527/year

$69,294

$4,358

Average $5,044/month

$5,775

$1,006

Average $1,164/week

$1,333

$25

Average $29/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,294	$5,775	$1,333	$33
Average	$60,527	$5,044	$1,164	$29
25th Percentile	$52,295	$4,358	$1,006	$25

Salaries of jobs related to System Operator

Salary Trends for System Operator

Salaries for a System Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $54,068 in 2023 to around $52,304 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of System Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of System Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$54,068

2024

$53,087

2025

$52,304

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$54,068
2024	$53,087
2025	$52,304
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for System 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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