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

A Barge Operator's salary grows with experience: an Barge Operator (0-2 years)earns $47,775, a Resident Care Manager (3-5 years)earns $69,421, a Nursing Home Director (5+ years)earns $136,619, a VP of Long Term Care (5+ years)earns $287,203,

What are the highest paying states for a Barge Operator?

Barge Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Barge Operator roles are District of Columbia $53,403, California $53,200, Massachusetts $52,491. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Barge Operator roles make?

Salaries for Barge Operator level roles vary by specialization: Barge Engineer: $102,369; Barge Captain: $92,546; Operator, Assembly Operator: $55,898; Mate- Ship, Boat, and Barge: $55,871; Crane Operator: $52,049.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Barge Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Barge Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of June 01, 2026, the average salary for a Barge Operator in the United States is $48,232 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $60,110
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $42,373 to $54,449
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $37,039

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Barge Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$54,449	$4,537	$1,047	$26
Average	$48,232	$4,019	$928	$23
25th Percentile	$42,373	$3,531	$815	$20

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Key Factors That Influence Barge Operator Salaries

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

District of Columbia: $53,403.
California: $53,200.
Massachusetts: $52,491.

District of Columbia $53,403 California $53,200 Massachusetts $52,491 Washington $52,298 New Jersey $52,279 Alaska $52,211 Connecticut $51,546 New York $51,276

Hawaii $50,412 Rhode Island $50,007 Maryland $49,732 Minnesota $49,356 Colorado $49,211 Illinois $49,163 Oregon $48,980 Delaware $48,845

New Hampshire $48,760 Virginia $48,570 Pennsylvania $48,015 Nevada $47,736 North Dakota $47,644 Michigan $47,499 Wisconsin $47,446 Vermont $47,340

Texas $47,046 Maine $47,026 Arizona $46,998 Ohio $46,964 Georgia $46,520 Indiana $46,298 Wyoming $46,255 Utah $46,187

Iowa $46,158 Kansas $45,927 Louisiana $45,859 North Carolina $45,835 Missouri $45,826 Florida $45,637 Montana $45,536 Nebraska $45,440

Kentucky $45,387 South Carolina $45,194 Tennessee $45,073 Idaho $45,025 New Mexico $44,673 Oklahoma $44,596 Alabama $44,311 South Dakota $43,834

Arkansas $43,573 West Virginia $43,433 Mississippi $43,014

Top Paying Cities for Barge 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: $60,835
San Francisco: $60,169
Oakland: $58,901

San Jose, CA $60,835

San Francisco, CA $60,169

Oakland, CA $58,901

New York, NY $55,534

Paramus, NJ $54,859

Queens Village, NY $54,857

Passaic, NJ $54,811

Bergenfield, NJ $54,806

Stamford, CT $54,700

Huntington, NY $54,680

Newark, NJ $54,324

Bridgeport, CT $54,222

Vallejo, CA $54,126

New Brunswick, NJ $54,107

Petaluma, CA $54,078

Middlesex, NJ $53,986

Somerset, NJ $53,953

Santa Cruz, CA $53,890

Boston, MA $53,596

Monterey, CA $53,426

Seattle, WA $53,316

Santa Rosa, CA $53,306

Los Angeles, CA $53,292

Juneau, AK $53,166

Washington, DC $53,113

Orange, CA $52,942

Santa Ana, CA $52,814

Long Beach, CA $52,766

Anaheim, CA $52,756

Anchorage, AK $52,732

Santa Maria, CA $52,588

Everett, WA $52,578

Danbury, CT $52,408

Bremerton, WA $52,342

Tacoma, WA $52,168

New Suffolk, NY $52,167

Sacramento, CA $52,154

Santa Barbara, CA $52,101

Trenton, NJ $52,047

San Diego, CA $52,047

Brockton, MA $51,994

Fairbanks, AK $51,876

Lompoc, CA $51,753

Lowell, MA $51,714

Ventura, CA $51,705

Nashua, NH $51,695

Stockton, CA $51,691

Modesto, CA $51,338

Poughkeepsie, NY $51,232

Olympia, WA $51,141

Kennewick, WA $51,141

New Haven, CT $51,121

Lawrence, MA $50,948

Hartford, CT $50,900

Riverside, CA $50,890

New Bedford, MA $50,842

Richland, WA $50,842

Bakersfield, CA $50,774

San Bernardino, CA $50,755

New Britain, CT $50,750

Atlantic City, NJ $50,750

New London, CT $50,731

Norwich, CT $50,716

Portsmouth, NH $50,707

Boulder, CO $50,604

Portland, OR $50,538

Worcester, MA $50,533

Minneapolis, MN $50,383

Philadelphia, PA $50,316

Honolulu, HI $50,157

Saint Paul, MN $50,134

Vineland, NJ $50,123

Providence, RI $49,983

Chicago, IL $49,843

Bellingham, WA $49,785

Springfield, MA $49,747

Baltimore, MD $49,732

Chico, CA $49,612

Pittsfield, MA $49,482

Manchester, NH $49,390

Spokane, WA $49,178

Denver, CO $49,173

Albany, NY $48,946

Troy, NY $48,927

Nassau, NY $48,875

Schenectady, NY $48,826

Wilmington, DE $48,787

Burlington, VT $48,719

Salem, OR $48,700

Portland, ME $48,551

Yakima, WA $48,502

Rochester, MN $48,353

Reno, NV $48,329

Fresno, CA $48,329

Milwaukee, WI $48,285

Detroit, MI $48,237

Ann Arbor, MI $48,229

Allentown, PA $48,223

Colorado Springs, CO $48,141

Syracuse, NY $48,117

Carson City, NV $48,117

Houston, TX $48,049

Eugene, OR $48,025

Gary, IN $47,967

Springfield, OR $47,928

Bismarck, ND $47,919

Galveston, TX $47,885

Medford, OR $47,813

Fort Collins, CO $47,793

Concord, NH $47,769

Austin, TX $47,755

Mesa, AZ $47,654

Reading, PA $47,649

Phoenix, AZ $47,644

Dallas, TX $47,629

Saint Cloud, MN $47,583

Madison, WI $47,518

Utica, NY $47,388

Rochester, NY $47,311

Des Moines, IA $47,306

Raleigh, NC $47,301

Atlanta, GA $47,229

Battle Creek, MI $47,215

Salt Lake City, UT $47,200

Lancaster, PA $47,128

Harrisburg, PA $47,060

Kansas City, MO $47,012

Champaign, IL $47,002

Kansas City, KS $47,002

Fort Worth, TX $46,998

Columbus, OH $46,989

Boca Raton, FL $46,978

Pittsburgh, PA $46,959

Richmond, VA $46,940

Indianapolis, IN $46,930

Cleveland, OH $46,925

Las Vegas, NV $46,867

Cincinnati, OH $46,867

Petersburg, VA $46,795

Huntsville, AL $46,723

Lansing, MI $46,690

Lebanon, PA $46,684

Pueblo, CO $46,679

Appleton, WI $46,665

Buffalo, NY $46,645

Dayton, OH $46,631

Racine, WI $46,621

Charlotte, NC $46,617

Saint Louis, MO $46,602

York, PA $46,573

Elkhart, IN $46,573

Gastonia, NC $46,564

Billings, MT $46,552

Beaumont, TX $46,539

Lorain, OH $46,530

Benton Harbor, MI $46,520

Toledo, OH $46,510

Binghamton, NY $46,486

Rock Hill, SC $46,481

Rockford, IL $46,457

Springfield, IL $46,438

Elyria, OH $46,433

Fargo, ND $46,433

Flagstaff, AZ $46,399

Fort Lauderdale, FL $46,371

Duluth, MN $46,342

Miami, FL $46,342

Cheyenne, WY $46,308

Grand Forks, ND $46,308

Bangor, ME $46,202

Cedar Rapids, IA $46,149

Durham, NC $46,128

Louisville, KY $46,125

Grand Rapids, MI $46,115

Hialeah, FL $46,110

Casper, WY $46,043

Scranton, PA $45,985

New Orleans, LA $45,970

Virginia Beach, VA $45,965

Akron, OH $45,941

Peoria, IL $45,879

Sarasota, FL $45,869

Nashville, TN $45,835

Omaha, NE $45,835

Green Bay, WI $45,835

Baton Rouge, LA $45,811

Charleston, SC $45,801

Jamestown, NY $45,777

Davenport, IA $45,777

Tucson, AZ $45,753

Saint Petersburg, FL $45,724

Tampa, FL $45,715

Evansville, IN $45,686

Port Arthur, TX $45,686

Bradenton, FL $45,666

Santa Fe, NM $45,580

Orlando, FL $45,493

Clearwater, FL $45,478

Canton, OH $45,377

La Crosse, WI $45,377

Albuquerque, NM $45,348

Newport News, VA $45,343

High Point, NC $45,329

Ogden, UT $45,309

Corpus Christi, TX $45,271

Norfolk, VA $45,242

Laramie, WY $45,242

Rock Island, IL $45,213

Saginaw, MI $45,203

Jacksonville, FL $45,198

Salisbury, NC $45,189

Boise, ID $45,179

Moline, IL $45,155

Fort Myers, FL $45,141

Memphis, TN $45,131

Tulsa, OK $45,107

Waterloo, IA $45,078

Spartanburg, SC $45,030

Lincoln, NE $45,006

Fort Wayne, IN $44,996

Provo, UT $44,991

Cedar Falls, IA $44,933

San Antonio, TX $44,914

Greensboro, NC $44,895

South Bend, IN $44,890

Savannah, GA $44,837

Muskegon, MI $44,817

Birmingham, AL $44,813

Winston Salem, NC $44,789

Lake Charles, LA $44,673

Anderson, IN $44,663

Lexington, KY $44,649

Augusta, GA $44,634

Greenville, SC $44,634

Lima, OH $44,596

Wichita, KS $44,591

Tuscaloosa, AL $44,591

Columbia, SC $44,547

Springfield, OH $44,538

Asheville, NC $44,461

Bloomington, IN $44,427

Knoxville, TN $44,253

Shreveport, LA $44,248

Wilmington, NC $44,186

Roanoke, VA $44,186

Topeka, KS $44,099

Frankfort, KY $44,093

Oklahoma City, OK $44,060

Chillicothe, OH $44,041

Longview, TX $44,036

Melbourne, FL $44,031

Sioux Falls, SD $43,954

Mobile, AL $43,949

Terre Haute, IN $43,930

Altoona, PA $43,901

Amarillo, TX $43,867

Killeen, TX $43,853

Fayetteville, AR $43,814

Chattanooga, TN $43,800

Sioux City, IA $43,756

Idaho Falls, ID $43,747

Lynchburg, VA $43,708

Gainesville, FL $43,645

Portsmouth, OH $43,621

Little Rock, AR $43,612

Lafayette, LA $43,592

Youngstown, OH $43,592

Daytona Beach, FL $43,563

Clarksville, TN $43,559

Pensacola, FL $43,554

Temple, TX $43,550

Hopkinsville, KY $43,409

Erie, PA $43,399

Florence, SC $43,380

Charleston, WV $43,303

Great Falls, MT $43,279

Macon, GA $43,211

Tallahassee, FL $43,206

Fayetteville, NC $43,197

Waco, TX $43,187

Helena, MT $43,153

Pine Bluff, AR $43,135

Vincennes, IN $43,076

Lubbock, TX $43,057

Alamogordo, NM $43,028

Twin Falls, ID $42,985

Rapid City, SD $42,970

Jackson, MS $42,883

Huntington, WV $42,880

Greenville, MS $42,879

Parkersburg, WV $42,829

Montgomery, AL $42,821

Wichita Falls, TX $42,772

Springfield, MO $42,772

Biloxi, MS $42,748

Monroe, LA $42,700

Johnstown, PA $42,666

Sumter, SC $42,647

Columbus, GA $42,642

Pascagoula, MS $42,551

Abilene, TX $42,551

Kingsport, TN $42,425

Albany, GA $42,425

Gulfport, MS $42,411

Alexandria, LA $42,251

Fort Smith, AR $42,131

El Paso, TX $42,001

Las Cruces, NM $41,784

Harlingen, TX $41,661

Pocatello, ID $41,653

Florence, AL $41,591

Brownsville, TX $41,581

Mcallen, TX $41,480

Dothan, AL $41,412

Columbus, MS $41,126

Altus, OK $40,901

Lawton, OK $40,809

Pierre, SD $40,636

What Skills Can Increase a Barge Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 13.98% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.63% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
Assisted Living (Mentioned in 1.77% Job Postings): Assisted living exemplifies the shift from "care as service" to "care as business" in the broader health care arena predicted more than three decades ago. A consumer-driven industry, assisted living offers a wide range of options, levels of care, and diversity of services (Lockhart, 2009) and is subject to state rather than federal regulatory oversight. "Assisted living" means depends on both the state and provider in question: variations in state regulatory definitions are significant and provider variables include everything from philosophy, geographic location and auspice, to organizational size and structure.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	13.98%
Microsoft Office	2.63%
Assisted Living	1.77%

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 Barge Operator's salary.

CRM: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Teamwork: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
CRM	$53,538	11%
Teamwork	$51,609	7%
Commitment	$51,609	7%
Accountability	$51,126	6%
Leadership	$50,644	5%
Coordination	$50,162	4%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Barge Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Barge Operators enter the field with a Associate's Degree 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 Barge Operator with a Associate's Degree is between $50,968 and $56,011).

Barge Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Barge Operator

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 19.3%

Associates 20.2%

Bachelors 47.1%

Masters 12.6%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.8%
High School	19.3%
Associates	20.2%
Bachelors	47.1%
Masters	12.6%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Barge 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 June 01, 2026

$42,373

Average $48,232/year

$54,449

$3,531

Average $4,019/month

$4,537

$815

Average $928/week

$1,047

$20

Average $23/hour

$26

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$54,449	$4,537	$1,047	$26
Average	$48,232	$4,019	$928	$23
25th Percentile	$42,373	$3,531	$815	$20

Salaries of jobs related to Barge Operator

Salary Trends for Barge Operator

Salaries for a Barge Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $48,157 in 2023 to around $46,736 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Barge Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Barge Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$48,157

2024

$47,813

2025

$46,736

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$48,157
2024	$47,813
2025	$46,736
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Barge Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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