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

A Feed Operator's salary grows with experience: a Machine Operator I (0-1 years)earns $41,214, a Feed Operator (1-3 years)earns $45,794, a Machine Operator III (3-5 years)earns $51,929, a Machine Operator IV (5-7 years)earns $65,283, a Machine Operator Supervisor (7+ years)earns $91,063,

What are the highest paying states for a Feed Operator?

Feed Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Feed Operator roles are District of Columbia $55,165, California $54,956, Massachusetts $54,223. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Feed Operator roles make?

Salaries for Feed Operator level roles vary by specialization: Feed Mill Manager: $138,428; Feed Mill Supervisor: $91,233; Feed Haul Driver: $67,354; Feed Mill Operator: $61,611; Crane Operator: $52,021.

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

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

Feed Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Feed Operator in the United States is $49,824 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $24.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $61,813
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $44,625 to $56,099
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $39,892

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Feed Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$56,099	$4,675	$1,079	$27
Average	$49,824	$4,152	$958	$24
25th Percentile	$44,625	$3,719	$858	$21

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Key Factors That Influence Feed Operator Salaries

A Feed 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 Feed Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Feed 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): $41,214
Early Career (1-2 years): $45,794
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $51,929
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $65,283
Expert (over 8 years): $91,063

Levels	Salary
Machine O... Level Feed Operator	$41,214
Feed Oper... Level Feed Operator	$45,794
Machine O... Level Feed Operator	$51,929
Machine O... Level Feed Operator	$65,283
Machine O... Level Feed Operator	$91,063

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $55,165.
California: $54,956.
Massachusetts: $54,223.

District of Columbia $55,165

California $54,956

Massachusetts $54,223

Washington $54,024

New Jersey $54,004

Alaska $53,934

Connecticut $53,247

New York $52,968

Hawaii $52,076

Rhode Island $51,657

Maryland $51,373

Minnesota $50,985

Colorado $50,835

Illinois $50,785

Oregon $50,596

Delaware $50,457

New Hampshire $50,369

Virginia $50,173

Pennsylvania $49,600

Nevada $49,311

North Dakota $49,216

Michigan $49,066

Wisconsin $49,012

Vermont $48,902

Texas $48,598

Maine $48,578

Arizona $48,548

Ohio $48,513

Georgia $48,055

Indiana $47,826

Wyoming $47,781

Utah $47,711

Iowa $47,681

Kansas $47,442

Louisiana $47,372

North Carolina $47,348

Missouri $47,338

Florida $47,143

Montana $47,039

Nebraska $46,939

Kentucky $46,884

South Carolina $46,685

Tennessee $46,560

Idaho $46,510

New Mexico $46,147

Oklahoma $46,067

Alabama $45,773

South Dakota $45,280

Arkansas $45,011

West Virginia $44,866

Mississippi $44,433

Top Paying Cities for Feed 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: $62,843
San Francisco: $62,225
Oakland: $60,845

San Jose, CA $62,843

San Francisco, CA $62,225

Oakland, CA $60,845

New York, NY $57,741

Queens Village, NY $57,367

Paramus, NJ $56,968

Passaic, NJ $56,919

Bergenfield, NJ $56,869

Stamford, CT $56,794

Huntington, NY $56,744

Newark, NJ $56,420

Bridgeport, CT $56,321

New Brunswick, NJ $56,156

Vallejo, CA $56,052

Middlesex, NJ $56,022

Somerset, NJ $55,977

Petaluma, CA $55,862

Santa Cruz, CA $55,668

Boston, MA $55,568

Monterey, CA $55,319

Fairbanks, AK $55,284

Los Angeles, CA $55,190

Washington, DC $55,165

Seattle, WA $55,075

Santa Rosa, CA $55,065

Juneau, AK $54,921

Orange, CA $54,756

Anchorage, AK $54,667

Anaheim, CA $54,632

Santa Ana, CA $54,557

Nassau, NY $54,527

Long Beach, CA $54,507

Danbury, CT $54,492

Santa Maria, CA $54,323

Everett, WA $54,313

Bremerton, WA $54,069

Trenton, NJ $53,974

Sacramento, CA $53,954

San Diego, CA $53,929

Brockton, MA $53,909

Tacoma, WA $53,889

Santa Barbara, CA $53,820

Lowell, MA $53,620

New Suffolk, NY $53,600

Nashua, NH $53,541

Lompoc, CA $53,461

Ventura, CA $53,411

Stockton, CA $53,396

New Haven, CT $53,296

Atlantic City, NJ $53,167

Hartford, CT $53,057

Modesto, CA $53,032

Poughkeepsie, NY $52,923

New Britain, CT $52,898

Kennewick, WA $52,828

Olympia, WA $52,828

New London, CT $52,818

Norwich, CT $52,803

Lawrence, MA $52,778

Bakersfield, CA $52,639

New Bedford, MA $52,569

Riverside, CA $52,569

Richland, WA $52,519

Portsmouth, NH $52,479

Vineland, NJ $52,469

San Bernardino, CA $52,430

Boulder, CO $52,290

Worcester, MA $52,250

Portland, OR $52,205

Saint Paul, MN $52,146

Minneapolis, MN $52,146

Philadelphia, PA $52,076

Honolulu, HI $51,812

Springfield, MA $51,637

Providence, RI $51,632

Chicago, IL $51,488

Bellingham, WA $51,428

Baltimore, MD $51,373

Chico, CA $51,249

Wilmington, DE $51,164

Pittsfield, MA $51,114

Manchester, NH $51,020

Spokane, WA $50,800

Denver, CO $50,795

Albany, NY $50,561

Troy, NY $50,541

Schenectady, NY $50,437

Burlington, VT $50,327

Portland, ME $50,153

Salem, OR $50,113

Yakima, WA $50,103

Ann Arbor, MI $50,088

Rochester, MN $49,948

Reno, NV $49,923

Fresno, CA $49,923

Milwaukee, WI $49,879

Detroit, MI $49,829

Allentown, PA $49,814

Carson City, NV $49,809

Houston, TX $49,734

Colorado Springs, CO $49,729

Syracuse, NY $49,704

Eugene, OR $49,610

Gary, IN $49,550

Bismarck, ND $49,550

Galveston, TX $49,550

Springfield, OR $49,510

Medford, OR $49,390

Fort Collins, CO $49,370

Austin, TX $49,331

Mesa, AZ $49,226

Phoenix, AZ $49,216

Dallas, TX $49,201

Reading, PA $49,171

Saint Cloud, MN $49,151

Concord, NH $49,106

Madison, WI $49,086

Utica, NY $48,952

Raleigh, NC $48,912

Las Vegas, NV $48,907

Rochester, NY $48,872

Des Moines, IA $48,867

Atlanta, GA $48,787

Battle Creek, MI $48,772

Salt Lake City, UT $48,758

Lancaster, PA $48,683

Champaign, IL $48,673

Harrisburg, PA $48,613

Durham, NC $48,568

Kansas City, MO $48,563

Kansas City, KS $48,553

Fort Worth, TX $48,548

Boca Raton, FL $48,528

Cleveland, OH $48,523

Columbus, OH $48,513

Pittsburgh, PA $48,508

Richmond, VA $48,488

Indianapolis, IN $48,479

Cincinnati, OH $48,414

Petersburg, VA $48,339

Lansing, MI $48,229

Billings, MT $48,229

Huntsville, AL $48,229

Lebanon, PA $48,224

Pueblo, CO $48,219

Dayton, OH $48,219

Appleton, WI $48,204

Buffalo, NY $48,185

Racine, WI $48,160

Charlotte, NC $48,155

Saint Louis, MO $48,140

Springfield, IL $48,120

York, PA $48,110

Elkhart, IN $48,110

Gastonia, NC $48,105

Benton Harbor, MI $48,105

Beaumont, TX $48,075

Lorain, OH $48,065

Toledo, OH $48,045

Binghamton, NY $48,020

Rock Hill, SC $48,015

Rockford, IL $47,990

Elyria, OH $47,965

Fargo, ND $47,965

Flagstaff, AZ $47,930

Fort Lauderdale, FL $47,901

Miami, FL $47,871

Duluth, MN $47,791

Bangor, ME $47,726

Cedar Rapids, IA $47,671

Louisville, KY $47,646

Grand Rapids, MI $47,637

Hialeah, FL $47,632

Casper, WY $47,562

Scranton, PA $47,502

New Orleans, LA $47,487

Virginia Beach, VA $47,482

Akron, OH $47,457

Peoria, IL $47,392

Sarasota, FL $47,382

Green Bay, WI $47,348

Baton Rouge, LA $47,323

Charleston, SC $47,313

Nashville, TN $47,298

Jamestown, NY $47,288

Davenport, IA $47,288

Tucson, AZ $47,263

Cheyenne, WY $47,248

Saint Petersburg, FL $47,233

Tampa, FL $47,223

Omaha, NE $47,213

Evansville, IN $47,193

Port Arthur, TX $47,193

Bradenton, FL $47,173

Santa Fe, NM $47,083

Orlando, FL $47,034

Clearwater, FL $46,979

La Crosse, WI $46,874

Canton, OH $46,874

Grand Forks, ND $46,859

Tulsa, OK $46,844

Albuquerque, NM $46,844

Newport News, VA $46,839

High Point, NC $46,824

Ogden, UT $46,804

Corpus Christi, TX $46,765

Laramie, WY $46,735

Norfolk, VA $46,735

Rock Island, IL $46,705

Saginaw, MI $46,695

Jacksonville, FL $46,690

Salisbury, NC $46,680

Memphis, TN $46,670

Moline, IL $46,645

Fort Myers, FL $46,630

Waterloo, IA $46,565

Spartanburg, SC $46,515

Lincoln, NE $46,491

Fort Wayne, IN $46,481

Birmingham, AL $46,426

Cedar Falls, IA $46,416

Provo, UT $46,411

Springfield, OH $46,406

San Antonio, TX $46,396

Greensboro, NC $46,376

South Bend, IN $46,371

Winston Salem, NC $46,366

Boise, ID $46,351

Savannah, GA $46,316

Muskegon, MI $46,226

Lima, OH $46,167

Lake Charles, LA $46,147

Anderson, IN $46,137

Lexington, KY $46,122

Augusta, GA $46,107

Greenville, SC $46,107

Wichita, KS $46,062

Tuscaloosa, AL $46,062

Columbia, SC $46,017

Bloomington, IN $45,893

Roanoke, VA $45,863

Asheville, NC $45,798

Knoxville, TN $45,713

Shreveport, LA $45,708

Wilmington, NC $45,644

Frankfort, KY $45,549

Oklahoma City, OK $45,514

Chillicothe, OH $45,494

Longview, TX $45,489

Topeka, KS $45,474

Mobile, AL $45,399

Terre Haute, IN $45,379

Erie, PA $45,375

Altoona, PA $45,350

Melbourne, FL $45,335

Amarillo, TX $45,315

Killeen, TX $45,300

Fayetteville, AR $45,260

Sioux Falls, SD $45,225

Chattanooga, TN $45,195

Idaho Falls, ID $45,190

Gainesville, FL $45,086

Portsmouth, OH $45,061

Little Rock, AR $45,051

Lynchburg, VA $45,051

Youngstown, OH $45,031

Lafayette, LA $45,031

Temple, TX $45,011

Daytona Beach, FL $45,001

Clarksville, TN $44,996

Pensacola, FL $44,991

Hopkinsville, KY $44,841

Charleston, WV $44,836

Florence, SC $44,811

Sioux City, IA $44,782

Macon, GA $44,637

Tallahassee, FL $44,632

Fayetteville, NC $44,622

Wichita Falls, TX $44,612

Waco, TX $44,612

Pine Bluff, AR $44,592

Vincennes, IN $44,498

Lubbock, TX $44,478

Great Falls, MT $44,448

Alamogordo, NM $44,443

Abilene, TX $44,403

Rapid City, SD $44,338

Monroe, LA $44,338

Albany, GA $44,308

Huntington, WV $44,303

Jackson, MS $44,298

Greenville, MS $44,293

Parkersburg, WV $44,244

Montgomery, AL $44,234

Johnstown, PA $44,224

Springfield, MO $44,184

Biloxi, MS $44,159

Sumter, SC $44,054

Columbus, GA $44,049

Twin Falls, ID $44,019

Pascagoula, MS $43,955

Kingsport, TN $43,825

Gulfport, MS $43,810

Alexandria, LA $43,646

Fort Smith, AR $43,521

El Paso, TX $43,387

Helena, MT $43,322

Las Cruces, NM $43,162

Harlingen, TX $43,023

Pocatello, ID $42,978

Florence, AL $42,963

Brownsville, TX $42,953

Dothan, AL $42,873

Mcallen, TX $42,848

Columbus, MS $42,480

Altus, OK $42,251

Lawton, OK $42,156

Pierre, SD $41,977

What Skills Can Increase a Feed 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 Feed 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	$53,810	8%
Dedication	$53,311	7%
Collaboration	$51,817	4%
Leadership	$51,318	3%
Initiative	$51,318	3%
SOP	$50,820	2%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Feed Operator's Salary?

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

Feed Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Feed 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

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

Understanding how a Feed 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

$44,625

Average $49,824/year

$56,099

$3,719

Average $4,152/month

$4,675

$858

Average $958/week

$1,079

$21

Average $24/hour

$27

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$56,099	$4,675	$1,079	$27
Average	$49,824	$4,152	$958	$24
25th Percentile	$44,625	$3,719	$858	$21

Salaries of jobs related to Feed Operator

Salary Trends for Feed Operator

Salaries for a Feed Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $42,370 in 2023 to around $42,407 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Feed Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Feed Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$42,370

2024

$42,522

2025

$42,407

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$42,370
2024	$42,522
2025	$42,407
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Feed Operator

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401(k)

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Healthcare

Pension

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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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