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

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Machine Operator Lead's salary?

A Machine Operator Lead's salary grows with experience: a Machine Operator Lead (0-3 years)earns $91,334, a Machine Operator Senior Supervisor (3-5 years)earns $110,053, a Machine Operator Manager (5+ years)earns $135,929, a Machine Operator Senior Manager (5+ years)earns $164,791,

What are the highest paying states for a Machine Operator Lead?

Machine Operator Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Machine Operator Lead roles are District of Columbia $101,979, California $101,592, Massachusetts $100,238. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Machine Operator Lead roles make?

Salaries for Machine Operator Lead level roles vary by specialization: Senior Machine Operator: $51,560; Machine Operator III: $51,558; Machine Operator: $46,164; Machine Operator II: $45,467; Machine Operator I: $40,919.

How do different companies affect a Machine Operator Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Machine Operator Lead 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.

Machine Operator Lead Salary in the United States

How much does a Machine Operator Lead make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Machine Operator Lead in the United States is $92,105 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $115,427
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,902 to $104,312
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $70,702

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Machine Operator Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$104,312	$8,693	$2,006	$50
Average	$92,105	$7,675	$1,771	$44
25th Percentile	$80,902	$6,742	$1,556	$39

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StandardAero - Cincinnati, OH

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Princeton Tool Inc - Mentor, OH

FORKLIFT OPERATOR

Staffmark - Perrysburg, OH

FORKLIFT OPERATOR

Spherion - , OH

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Key Factors That Influence Machine Operator Lead Salaries

A Machine Operator Lead'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 Machine Operator Lead 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 Machine Operator Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $101,979.
California: $101,592.
Massachusetts: $100,238.

District of Columbia $101,979

California $101,592

Massachusetts $100,238

Washington $99,869

New Jersey $99,833

Alaska $99,704

Connecticut $98,433

New York $97,917

Hawaii $96,268

Rhode Island $95,494

Maryland $94,969

Minnesota $94,251

Colorado $93,975

Illinois $93,883

Oregon $93,533

Delaware $93,275

New Hampshire $93,113

Virginia $92,750

Pennsylvania $91,691

Nevada $91,156

North Dakota $90,981

Michigan $90,705

Wisconsin $90,604

Vermont $90,401

Texas $89,839

Maine $89,802

Arizona $89,747

Ohio $89,683

Georgia $88,835

Indiana $88,412

Wyoming $88,329

Utah $88,200

Iowa $88,144

Kansas $87,702

Louisiana $87,573

North Carolina $87,527

Missouri $87,509

Florida $87,150

Montana $86,956

Nebraska $86,772

Kentucky $86,671

South Carolina $86,302

Tennessee $86,072

Idaho $85,980

New Mexico $85,308

Oklahoma $85,160

Alabama $84,617

South Dakota $83,705

Arkansas $83,208

West Virginia $82,941

Mississippi $82,139

Top Paying Cities for Machine Operator Leads

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: $116,172
San Francisco: $115,030
Oakland: $112,479

San Jose, CA $116,172

San Francisco, CA $115,030

Oakland, CA $112,479

New York, NY $106,740

Queens Village, NY $106,050

Paramus, NJ $105,313

Passaic, NJ $105,221

Bergenfield, NJ $105,129

Stamford, CT $104,990

Huntington, NY $104,898

Newark, NJ $104,300

Bridgeport, CT $104,115

New Brunswick, NJ $103,812

Vallejo, CA $103,618

Middlesex, NJ $103,563

Somerset, NJ $103,480

Petaluma, CA $103,268

Santa Cruz, CA $102,909

Boston, MA $102,725

Monterey, CA $102,264

Fairbanks, AK $102,200

Los Angeles, CA $102,025

Washington, DC $101,979

Seattle, WA $101,813

Santa Rosa, CA $101,794

Juneau, AK $101,527

Orange, CA $101,223

Anchorage, AK $101,058

Anaheim, CA $100,993

Santa Ana, CA $100,855

Nassau, NY $100,800

Long Beach, CA $100,763

Danbury, CT $100,735

Santa Maria, CA $100,422

Everett, WA $100,404

Bremerton, WA $99,952

Trenton, NJ $99,777

Sacramento, CA $99,741

San Diego, CA $99,694

Brockton, MA $99,658

Tacoma, WA $99,621

Santa Barbara, CA $99,492

Lowell, MA $99,123

New Suffolk, NY $99,087

Nashua, NH $98,976

Lompoc, CA $98,829

Ventura, CA $98,737

Stockton, CA $98,709

New Haven, CT $98,525

Atlantic City, NJ $98,285

Hartford, CT $98,083

Modesto, CA $98,037

Poughkeepsie, NY $97,834

New Britain, CT $97,788

Kennewick, WA $97,659

Olympia, WA $97,659

New London, CT $97,641

Norwich, CT $97,613

Lawrence, MA $97,567

Bakersfield, CA $97,309

New Bedford, MA $97,180

Riverside, CA $97,180

Richland, WA $97,088

Portsmouth, NH $97,014

Vineland, NJ $96,996

San Bernardino, CA $96,922

Boulder, CO $96,664

Worcester, MA $96,591

Portland, OR $96,508

Saint Paul, MN $96,397

Minneapolis, MN $96,397

Philadelphia, PA $96,268

Honolulu, HI $95,780

Springfield, MA $95,458

Providence, RI $95,448

Chicago, IL $95,181

Bellingham, WA $95,071

Baltimore, MD $94,969

Chico, CA $94,739

Wilmington, DE $94,583

Pittsfield, MA $94,491

Manchester, NH $94,316

Spokane, WA $93,910

Denver, CO $93,901

Albany, NY $93,468

Troy, NY $93,431

Schenectady, NY $93,238

Burlington, VT $93,035

Portland, ME $92,713

Salem, OR $92,639

Yakima, WA $92,621

Ann Arbor, MI $92,593

Rochester, MN $92,335

Reno, NV $92,289

Fresno, CA $92,289

Milwaukee, WI $92,206

Detroit, MI $92,114

Allentown, PA $92,087

Carson City, NV $92,077

Houston, TX $91,939

Colorado Springs, CO $91,930

Syracuse, NY $91,884

Eugene, OR $91,709

Gary, IN $91,598

Bismarck, ND $91,598

Galveston, TX $91,598

Springfield, OR $91,525

Medford, OR $91,304

Fort Collins, CO $91,267

Austin, TX $91,193

Mesa, AZ $91,000

Phoenix, AZ $90,981

Dallas, TX $90,954

Reading, PA $90,898

Saint Cloud, MN $90,862

Concord, NH $90,779

Madison, WI $90,742

Utica, NY $90,493

Raleigh, NC $90,419

Las Vegas, NV $90,410

Rochester, NY $90,346

Des Moines, IA $90,337

Atlanta, GA $90,189

Battle Creek, MI $90,162

Salt Lake City, UT $90,134

Lancaster, PA $89,996

Champaign, IL $89,977

Harrisburg, PA $89,867

Durham, NC $89,784

Kansas City, MO $89,775

Kansas City, KS $89,756

Fort Worth, TX $89,747

Boca Raton, FL $89,710

Cleveland, OH $89,701

Columbus, OH $89,683

Pittsburgh, PA $89,673

Richmond, VA $89,637

Indianapolis, IN $89,618

Cincinnati, OH $89,498

Petersburg, VA $89,360

Lansing, MI $89,158

Billings, MT $89,158

Huntsville, AL $89,158

Lebanon, PA $89,148

Pueblo, CO $89,139

Dayton, OH $89,139

Appleton, WI $89,112

Buffalo, NY $89,075

Racine, WI $89,029

Charlotte, NC $89,019

Saint Louis, MO $88,992

Springfield, IL $88,955

York, PA $88,937

Elkhart, IN $88,937

Gastonia, NC $88,927

Benton Harbor, MI $88,927

Beaumont, TX $88,872

Lorain, OH $88,854

Toledo, OH $88,817

Binghamton, NY $88,771

Rock Hill, SC $88,762

Rockford, IL $88,716

Elyria, OH $88,669

Fargo, ND $88,669

Flagstaff, AZ $88,605

Fort Lauderdale, FL $88,550

Miami, FL $88,494

Duluth, MN $88,347

Bangor, ME $88,227

Cedar Rapids, IA $88,126

Louisville, KY $88,080

Grand Rapids, MI $88,062

Hialeah, FL $88,052

Casper, WY $87,923

Scranton, PA $87,813

New Orleans, LA $87,785

Virginia Beach, VA $87,776

Akron, OH $87,730

Peoria, IL $87,610

Sarasota, FL $87,592

Green Bay, WI $87,527

Baton Rouge, LA $87,481

Charleston, SC $87,463

Nashville, TN $87,435

Jamestown, NY $87,417

Davenport, IA $87,417

Tucson, AZ $87,371

Cheyenne, WY $87,343

Saint Petersburg, FL $87,316

Tampa, FL $87,297

Omaha, NE $87,279

Evansville, IN $87,242

Port Arthur, TX $87,242

Bradenton, FL $87,205

Santa Fe, NM $87,039

Orlando, FL $86,947

Clearwater, FL $86,846

La Crosse, WI $86,652

Canton, OH $86,652

Grand Forks, ND $86,625

Tulsa, OK $86,597

Albuquerque, NM $86,597

Newport News, VA $86,588

High Point, NC $86,560

Ogden, UT $86,523

Corpus Christi, TX $86,450

Laramie, WY $86,394

Norfolk, VA $86,394

Rock Island, IL $86,339

Saginaw, MI $86,321

Jacksonville, FL $86,312

Salisbury, NC $86,293

Memphis, TN $86,275

Moline, IL $86,229

Fort Myers, FL $86,201

Waterloo, IA $86,081

Spartanburg, SC $85,989

Lincoln, NE $85,943

Fort Wayne, IN $85,925

Birmingham, AL $85,823

Cedar Falls, IA $85,805

Provo, UT $85,796

Springfield, OH $85,787

San Antonio, TX $85,768

Greensboro, NC $85,731

South Bend, IN $85,722

Winston Salem, NC $85,713

Boise, ID $85,685

Savannah, GA $85,621

Muskegon, MI $85,455

Lima, OH $85,344

Lake Charles, LA $85,308

Anderson, IN $85,289

Lexington, KY $85,262

Augusta, GA $85,234

Greenville, SC $85,234

Wichita, KS $85,151

Tuscaloosa, AL $85,151

Columbia, SC $85,068

Bloomington, IN $84,838

Roanoke, VA $84,783

Asheville, NC $84,663

Knoxville, TN $84,506

Shreveport, LA $84,497

Wilmington, NC $84,377

Frankfort, KY $84,202

Oklahoma City, OK $84,138

Chillicothe, OH $84,101

Longview, TX $84,092

Topeka, KS $84,064

Mobile, AL $83,926

Terre Haute, IN $83,889

Erie, PA $83,880

Altoona, PA $83,834

Melbourne, FL $83,806

Amarillo, TX $83,770

Killeen, TX $83,742

Fayetteville, AR $83,668

Sioux Falls, SD $83,604

Chattanooga, TN $83,548

Idaho Falls, ID $83,539

Gainesville, FL $83,346

Portsmouth, OH $83,300

Little Rock, AR $83,281

Lynchburg, VA $83,281

Youngstown, OH $83,245

Lafayette, LA $83,245

Temple, TX $83,208

Daytona Beach, FL $83,189

Clarksville, TN $83,180

Pensacola, FL $83,171

Hopkinsville, KY $82,895

Charleston, WV $82,885

Florence, SC $82,839

Sioux City, IA $82,784

Macon, GA $82,517

Tallahassee, FL $82,508

Fayetteville, NC $82,489

Wichita Falls, TX $82,471

Waco, TX $82,471

Pine Bluff, AR $82,434

Vincennes, IN $82,259

Lubbock, TX $82,222

Great Falls, MT $82,167

Alamogordo, NM $82,158

Abilene, TX $82,084

Rapid City, SD $81,964

Monroe, LA $81,964

Albany, GA $81,909

Huntington, WV $81,900

Jackson, MS $81,891

Greenville, MS $81,881

Parkersburg, WV $81,789

Montgomery, AL $81,771

Johnstown, PA $81,752

Springfield, MO $81,679

Biloxi, MS $81,633

Sumter, SC $81,439

Columbus, GA $81,430

Twin Falls, ID $81,375

Pascagoula, MS $81,255

Kingsport, TN $81,016

Gulfport, MS $80,988

Alexandria, LA $80,684

Fort Smith, AR $80,454

El Paso, TX $80,205

Helena, MT $80,085

Las Cruces, NM $79,791

Harlingen, TX $79,533

Pocatello, ID $79,450

Florence, AL $79,422

Brownsville, TX $79,404

Dothan, AL $79,256

Mcallen, TX $79,210

Columbus, MS $78,529

Altus, OK $78,105

Lawton, OK $77,930

Pierre, SD $77,598

What Skills Can Increase a Machine Operator Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Leadership (Mentioned in 9.94% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
5S (Mentioned in 2.2% Job Postings): Stands for sort, sustain, set in order, standardized and shine. 5 tips that are designed to achieve clean, uncluttered, safe, and well organized workplace for a more systematized work flow.
Sustainability (Mentioned in 1.85% Job Postings): Sustainability is a societal goal that broadly aims for humans to safely co-exist on planet Earth over a long time. Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and therefore vary in the literature and over time.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Leadership	9.94%
5S	2.2%
Sustainability	1.85%

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 Machine Operator Lead's salary.

Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Microsoft Office: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Scheduling	$96,710	5%
Initiative	$95,789	4%
Microsoft Office	$95,789	4%
Coaching	$94,868	3%
Continuous Improvement	$94,868	3%
Problem Solving	$93,947	2%

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How Education impacts a Machine Operator Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Machine Operator Leads 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 a Machine Operator Lead with a No Diploma is between $82,992 and $88,260).

Machine Operator Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Machine Operator Lead

No Diploma 16.7%

High School 66.7%

Associates 16.7%

Bachelors 0.0%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	16.7%
High School	66.7%
Associates	16.7%
Bachelors	0.0%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Machine Operator Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Machine Operator Lead'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 18, 2021

$80,902

Average $92,105/year

$104,312

$6,742

Average $7,675/month

$8,693

$1,556

Average $1,771/week

$2,006

$39

Average $44/hour

$50

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$104,312	$8,693	$2,006	$50
Average	$92,105	$7,675	$1,771	$44
25th Percentile	$80,902	$6,742	$1,556	$39

Salaries of jobs related to Machine Operator Lead

Salary Trends for Machine Operator Lead

Salaries for a Machine Operator Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $68,662 in 2023 to around $68,826 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Machine Operator Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Machine Operator Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$68,662

2024

$69,157

2025

$68,826

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$68,662
2024	$69,157
2025	$68,826
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Machine Operator Lead

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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