What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for 1St Shift Machine Operator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where 1St Shift Machine Operator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Nome, AK (24.0% above average), followed by Nantucket, MA and Berkeley, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Nome, AK $47,414 $3,951 $911 $22.80 Nantucket, MA $47,031 $3,919 $904 $22.61 Berkeley, CA $46,800 $3,900 $900 $22.50 Sitka, AK $46,045 $3,837 $885 $22.14 Moreno Valley, CA $45,998 $3,833 $884 $22.11 Holdrege, NE $45,784 $3,815 $880 $22.01 Riverside, CA $45,171 $3,764 $868 $21.72 Justin, TX $45,139 $3,761 $868 $21.70 Santa Clara, CA $45,139 $3,761 $868 $21.70 Sunnyvale, CA $44,859 $3,738 $862 $21.57

1St Shift Machine Operator

1St Shift Machine Operator Salary

Q: How much does a 1St Shift Machine Operator make?

The average annual pay for a 1st shift machine operator in the United States is $38,222 a year — that works out to approximately $18.38 an hour. The middle 80% of 1St Shift Machine Operators earn between $32,000 (10th percentile) and $46,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

$27K

$37K

$50K

$38,222

/year

$18.38

/hour

1St Shift Machine Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$38,222

Columbus

Ohio

$36,918

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How much does a 1St Shift Machine Operator make?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a 1St Shift Machine Operator in the United States is $38,222 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $18.38 an hour. This is the equivalent of $735/week or $3,185/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $50,000 and as low as $27,000, the majority of 1St Shift Machine Operator salaries currently range between $34,000 (25th percentile) to $41,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $46,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a 1St Shift Machine Operator varies greatly (by as much as 7000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A 1St Shift Machine Operator in your area makes on average $36,918 per year, or $1,304 (3.412%) less than the national average annual salary of $38,222. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for 1St Shift Machine Operator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for 1St Shift Machine Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a 1St Shift Machine Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for 1St Shift Machine Operator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a 1St Shift Machine Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Nantucket, MA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $8,578 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $9,192 (24.0%) above the $38,222 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a 1St Shift Machine Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Sunnyvale, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a 1St Shift Machine Operator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Nome, AK	$47,414	$3,951	$911	$22.80
Nantucket, MA	$47,031	$3,919	$904	$22.61
Berkeley, CA	$46,800	$3,900	$900	$22.50
Sitka, AK	$46,045	$3,837	$885	$22.14
Moreno Valley, CA	$45,998	$3,833	$884	$22.11
Holdrege, NE	$45,784	$3,815	$880	$22.01
Riverside, CA	$45,171	$3,764	$868	$21.72
Justin, TX	$45,139	$3,761	$868	$21.70
Santa Clara, CA	$45,139	$3,761	$868	$21.70
Sunnyvale, CA	$44,859	$3,738	$862	$21.57

What are Top 0 Best Paying Related 1St Shift Machine Operator Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the 1St Shift Machine Operator job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than 1St Shift Machine Operator jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing 1St Shift Machine Operator salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $38,222 per year or $18.38 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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