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

A Machine Operator's salary grows with experience: a Machine Operator I (0-1 years)earns $41,005, a Machine Operator (1-3 years)earns $45,562, a Machine Operator III (3-5 years)earns $51,666, a Machine Operator IV (5-7 years)earns $64,952, a Machine Operator Supervisor (7+ years)earns $90,602,

What are the highest paying states for a Machine Operator?

Machine Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Machine Operator roles are District of Columbia $51,112, California $50,918, Massachusetts $50,240. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Machine Operator roles make?

Salaries for Machine Operator level roles vary by specialization: Senior Machine Operator: $51,560; Machine Operator III: $51,558; Intermediate Machine Operator: $45,500; Machine Operator II: $45,467; Machine Operator I: $40,919.

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

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

Machine Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Machine Operator in the United States is $46,164 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $55,318
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,812 to $50,955
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $37,851

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Machine Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$50,955	$4,246	$980	$24
Average	$46,164	$3,847	$888	$22
25th Percentile	$41,812	$3,484	$804	$20

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Check out Machine Operator Job Openings in the United States

MACHINE OPERATOR

Princeton Tool Inc - Mentor, OH

MACHINE OPERATOR

Spherion - Galion, OH

MACHINE OPERATOR

Manpower - Alliance, OH

MACHINE OPERATOR

Spherion - Covington, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Machine Operator Salaries

A Machine 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 Machine Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Machine 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): $41,005
Early Career (1-2 years): $45,562
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $51,666
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $64,952
Expert (over 8 years): $90,602

Levels	Salary
Machine O... Level Machine Operator	$41,005
Machine O... Level Machine Operator	$45,562
Machine O... Level Machine Operator	$51,666
Machine O... Level Machine Operator	$64,952
Machine O... Level Machine Operator	$90,602

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $51,112.
California: $50,918.
Massachusetts: $50,240.

District of Columbia $51,112 California $50,918 Massachusetts $50,240 Washington $50,055 New Jersey $50,037 Alaska $49,972 Connecticut $49,335 New York $49,076

Hawaii $48,250 Rhode Island $47,862 Maryland $47,599 Minnesota $47,239 Colorado $47,101 Illinois $47,054 Oregon $46,879 Delaware $46,750

New Hampshire $46,669 Virginia $46,487 Pennsylvania $45,956 Nevada $45,688 North Dakota $45,600 Michigan $45,462 Wisconsin $45,411 Vermont $45,309

Texas $45,028 Maine $45,009 Arizona $44,982 Ohio $44,949 Georgia $44,525 Indiana $44,312 Wyoming $44,271 Utah $44,206

Iowa $44,178 Kansas $43,957 Louisiana $43,892 North Carolina $43,869 Missouri $43,860 Florida $43,680 Montana $43,583 Nebraska $43,491

Kentucky $43,440 South Carolina $43,255 Tennessee $43,140 Idaho $43,094 New Mexico $42,757 Oklahoma $42,683 Alabama $42,410 South Dakota $41,953

Arkansas $41,704 West Virginia $41,570 Mississippi $41,169

Top Paying Cities for Machine 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: $58,226
San Francisco: $57,654
Oakland: $56,375

San Jose, CA $58,226

San Francisco, CA $57,654

Oakland, CA $56,375

New York, NY $53,499

Queens Village, NY $53,153

Paramus, NJ $52,783

Passaic, NJ $52,737

Bergenfield, NJ $52,691

Stamford, CT $52,622

Huntington, NY $52,576

Newark, NJ $52,276

Bridgeport, CT $52,183

New Brunswick, NJ $52,031

Vallejo, CA $51,934

Middlesex, NJ $51,906

Somerset, NJ $51,865

Petaluma, CA $51,759

Santa Cruz, CA $51,578

Boston, MA $51,486

Monterey, CA $51,255

Fairbanks, AK $51,223

Los Angeles, CA $51,135

Washington, DC $51,112

Seattle, WA $51,029

Santa Rosa, CA $51,020

Juneau, AK $50,886

Orange, CA $50,734

Anchorage, AK $50,651

Anaheim, CA $50,618

Santa Ana, CA $50,549

Nassau, NY $50,521

Long Beach, CA $50,503

Danbury, CT $50,489

Santa Maria, CA $50,332

Everett, WA $50,323

Bremerton, WA $50,097

Trenton, NJ $50,009

Sacramento, CA $49,990

San Diego, CA $49,967

Brockton, MA $49,949

Tacoma, WA $49,930

Santa Barbara, CA $49,866

Lowell, MA $49,681

New Suffolk, NY $49,663

Nashua, NH $49,607

Lompoc, CA $49,533

Ventura, CA $49,487

Stockton, CA $49,473

New Haven, CT $49,381

Atlantic City, NJ $49,261

Hartford, CT $49,160

Modesto, CA $49,136

Poughkeepsie, NY $49,035

New Britain, CT $49,012

Kennewick, WA $48,947

Olympia, WA $48,947

New London, CT $48,938

Norwich, CT $48,924

Lawrence, MA $48,901

Bakersfield, CA $48,772

New Bedford, MA $48,707

Riverside, CA $48,707

Richland, WA $48,661

Portsmouth, NH $48,624

Vineland, NJ $48,615

San Bernardino, CA $48,578

Boulder, CO $48,449

Worcester, MA $48,412

Portland, OR $48,370

Saint Paul, MN $48,315

Minneapolis, MN $48,315

Philadelphia, PA $48,250

Honolulu, HI $48,005

Springfield, MA $47,844

Providence, RI $47,839

Chicago, IL $47,705

Bellingham, WA $47,650

Baltimore, MD $47,599

Chico, CA $47,484

Wilmington, DE $47,405

Pittsfield, MA $47,359

Manchester, NH $47,271

Spokane, WA $47,068

Denver, CO $47,064

Albany, NY $46,847

Troy, NY $46,828

Schenectady, NY $46,731

Burlington, VT $46,630

Portland, ME $46,468

Salem, OR $46,431

Yakima, WA $46,422

Ann Arbor, MI $46,408

Rochester, MN $46,279

Reno, NV $46,256

Fresno, CA $46,256

Milwaukee, WI $46,214

Detroit, MI $46,168

Allentown, PA $46,154

Carson City, NV $46,150

Houston, TX $46,080

Colorado Springs, CO $46,076

Syracuse, NY $46,053

Eugene, OR $45,965

Gary, IN $45,910

Bismarck, ND $45,910

Galveston, TX $45,910

Springfield, OR $45,873

Medford, OR $45,762

Fort Collins, CO $45,743

Austin, TX $45,706

Mesa, AZ $45,610

Phoenix, AZ $45,600

Dallas, TX $45,586

Reading, PA $45,559

Saint Cloud, MN $45,540

Concord, NH $45,499

Madison, WI $45,480

Utica, NY $45,356

Raleigh, NC $45,319

Las Vegas, NV $45,314

Rochester, NY $45,282

Des Moines, IA $45,277

Atlanta, GA $45,203

Battle Creek, MI $45,189

Salt Lake City, UT $45,176

Lancaster, PA $45,106

Champaign, IL $45,097

Harrisburg, PA $45,042

Durham, NC $45,000

Kansas City, MO $44,996

Kansas City, KS $44,986

Fort Worth, TX $44,982

Boca Raton, FL $44,963

Cleveland, OH $44,959

Columbus, OH $44,949

Pittsburgh, PA $44,945

Richmond, VA $44,926

Indianapolis, IN $44,917

Cincinnati, OH $44,857

Petersburg, VA $44,788

Lansing, MI $44,686

Billings, MT $44,686

Huntsville, AL $44,686

Lebanon, PA $44,682

Pueblo, CO $44,677

Dayton, OH $44,677

Appleton, WI $44,663

Buffalo, NY $44,645

Racine, WI $44,622

Charlotte, NC $44,617

Saint Louis, MO $44,603

Springfield, IL $44,585

York, PA $44,575

Elkhart, IN $44,575

Gastonia, NC $44,571

Benton Harbor, MI $44,571

Beaumont, TX $44,543

Lorain, OH $44,534

Toledo, OH $44,515

Binghamton, NY $44,492

Rock Hill, SC $44,488

Rockford, IL $44,465

Elyria, OH $44,442

Fargo, ND $44,442

Flagstaff, AZ $44,409

Fort Lauderdale, FL $44,382

Miami, FL $44,354

Duluth, MN $44,280

Bangor, ME $44,220

Cedar Rapids, IA $44,169

Louisville, KY $44,146

Grand Rapids, MI $44,137

Hialeah, FL $44,132

Casper, WY $44,068

Scranton, PA $44,012

New Orleans, LA $43,998

Virginia Beach, VA $43,994

Akron, OH $43,971

Peoria, IL $43,911

Sarasota, FL $43,901

Green Bay, WI $43,869

Baton Rouge, LA $43,846

Charleston, SC $43,837

Nashville, TN $43,823

Jamestown, NY $43,814

Davenport, IA $43,814

Tucson, AZ $43,791

Cheyenne, WY $43,777

Saint Petersburg, FL $43,763

Tampa, FL $43,754

Omaha, NE $43,745

Evansville, IN $43,726

Port Arthur, TX $43,726

Bradenton, FL $43,708

Santa Fe, NM $43,625

Orlando, FL $43,578

Clearwater, FL $43,528

La Crosse, WI $43,431

Canton, OH $43,431

Grand Forks, ND $43,417

Tulsa, OK $43,403

Albuquerque, NM $43,403

Newport News, VA $43,398

High Point, NC $43,384

Ogden, UT $43,366

Corpus Christi, TX $43,329

Laramie, WY $43,301

Norfolk, VA $43,301

Rock Island, IL $43,274

Saginaw, MI $43,264

Jacksonville, FL $43,260

Salisbury, NC $43,251

Memphis, TN $43,241

Moline, IL $43,218

Fort Myers, FL $43,204

Waterloo, IA $43,144

Spartanburg, SC $43,098

Lincoln, NE $43,075

Fort Wayne, IN $43,066

Birmingham, AL $43,015

Cedar Falls, IA $43,006

Provo, UT $43,001

Springfield, OH $42,997

San Antonio, TX $42,987

Greensboro, NC $42,969

South Bend, IN $42,964

Winston Salem, NC $42,960

Boise, ID $42,946

Savannah, GA $42,914

Muskegon, MI $42,831

Lima, OH $42,775

Lake Charles, LA $42,757

Anderson, IN $42,747

Lexington, KY $42,734

Augusta, GA $42,720

Greenville, SC $42,720

Wichita, KS $42,678

Tuscaloosa, AL $42,678

Columbia, SC $42,637

Bloomington, IN $42,521

Roanoke, VA $42,494

Asheville, NC $42,433

Knoxville, TN $42,355

Shreveport, LA $42,350

Wilmington, NC $42,290

Frankfort, KY $42,203

Oklahoma City, OK $42,170

Chillicothe, OH $42,152

Longview, TX $42,147

Topeka, KS $42,133

Mobile, AL $42,064

Terre Haute, IN $42,046

Erie, PA $42,041

Altoona, PA $42,018

Melbourne, FL $42,004

Amarillo, TX $41,986

Killeen, TX $41,972

Fayetteville, AR $41,935

Sioux Falls, SD $41,903

Chattanooga, TN $41,875

Idaho Falls, ID $41,870

Gainesville, FL $41,773

Portsmouth, OH $41,750

Little Rock, AR $41,741

Lynchburg, VA $41,741

Youngstown, OH $41,723

Lafayette, LA $41,723

Temple, TX $41,704

Daytona Beach, FL $41,695

Clarksville, TN $41,690

Pensacola, FL $41,686

Hopkinsville, KY $41,547

Charleston, WV $41,543

Florence, SC $41,519

Sioux City, IA $41,492

Macon, GA $41,358

Tallahassee, FL $41,353

Fayetteville, NC $41,344

Wichita Falls, TX $41,335

Waco, TX $41,335

Pine Bluff, AR $41,316

Vincennes, IN $41,229

Lubbock, TX $41,210

Great Falls, MT $41,182

Alamogordo, NM $41,178

Abilene, TX $41,141

Rapid City, SD $41,081

Monroe, LA $41,081

Albany, GA $41,053

Huntington, WV $41,049

Jackson, MS $41,044

Greenville, MS $41,039

Parkersburg, WV $40,993

Montgomery, AL $40,984

Johnstown, PA $40,975

Springfield, MO $40,938

Biloxi, MS $40,915

Sumter, SC $40,818

Columbus, GA $40,813

Twin Falls, ID $40,785

Pascagoula, MS $40,725

Kingsport, TN $40,605

Gulfport, MS $40,592

Alexandria, LA $40,439

Fort Smith, AR $40,324

El Paso, TX $40,199

Helena, MT $40,139

Las Cruces, NM $39,991

Harlingen, TX $39,862

Pocatello, ID $39,821

Florence, AL $39,807

Brownsville, TX $39,798

Dothan, AL $39,724

Mcallen, TX $39,701

Columbus, MS $39,359

Altus, OK $39,147

Lawton, OK $39,059

Pierre, SD $38,893

What Skills Can Increase a Machine 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 a Machine 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	$49,857	8%
Dedication	$49,395	7%
Collaboration	$48,010	4%
Leadership	$47,548	3%
Initiative	$47,548	3%
SOP	$47,087	2%

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How Education impacts a Machine Operator's Salary?

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

Machine Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Machine 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

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

Understanding how a Machine 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 18, 2021

$41,812

Average $46,164/year

$50,955

$3,484

Average $3,847/month

$4,246

$804

Average $888/week

$980

$20

Average $22/hour

$24

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$50,955	$4,246	$980	$24
Average	$46,164	$3,847	$888	$22
25th Percentile	$41,812	$3,484	$804	$20

Salaries of jobs related to Machine Operator

Salary Trends for Machine Operator

Salaries for a Machine Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $42,155 in 2023 to around $42,192 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Machine Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Machine Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$42,155

2024

$42,307

2025

$42,192

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$42,155
2024	$42,307
2025	$42,192
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Machine Operator

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Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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