Barge Operator Salary
$25.5K - $29K
3% of jobs
$29K - $32.5K
5% of jobs
$35.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$32.5K - $36K
19% of jobs
$36K - $39.5K
22% of jobs
The median wage is $39.9K / yr.
$39.5K - $43K
17% of jobs
$43K - $46.5K
9% of jobs
$46.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$46.5K - $50K
10% of jobs
$50K - $53.5K
8% of jobs
$53.5K - $57K
4% of jobs
$57K - $60.5K
2% of jobs
$60.5K - $64K
2% of jobs
$25.5K
$40K
$62.5K
$42,306
/year
$20.34
/hour
Barge Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$42,306
Columbus
Ohio
$40,864
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How much does a Barge Operator make?
As of Aug 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Barge Operator in the United States is $42,306 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $20.34 an hour. This is the equivalent of $813/week or $3,525/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $62,500 and as low as $25,500, the majority of Barge Operator salaries currently range between $35,500 (25th percentile) to $47,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $54,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Barge Operator varies greatly (by as much as 12000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Barge Operator in your area makes on average $40,864 per year, or $1,442 (3.408%) less than the national average annual salary of $42,306. Ohio ranks number 43 out of 50 states nationwide for Barge Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Barge Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Barge Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Barge Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Barge Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Red Dog, AK, , with Honolulu County, HI, and Cornwall, CT, close behind in the second and third positions. Cornwall, CT, beats the national average by $11,496 (27.2%), and Red Dog, AK, furthers that trend with another $20,294 (48.0%) above the $42,306 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Barge Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 22% between Red Dog, AK, and Kentville, NS, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Barge Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Red Dog, AK | $62,600 | $30.10 |
Honolulu County, HI | $57,347 | $27.57 |
Cornwall, CT | $53,802 | $25.87 |
Medical Lake, WA | $51,969 | $24.99 |
Berkeley, CA | $51,802 | $24.90 |
Secaucus, NJ | $51,711 | $24.86 |
Roseburg, OR | $50,515 | $24.29 |
Menlo Park, CA | $49,854 | $23.97 |
San Francisco, CA | $49,844 | $23.96 |
Kentville, NS | $49,746 | $23.92 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Barge Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Barge Operator category.
For example Harbor Tug Captain jobs pay as much as $61,851 (146.2%) more than the average Barge Operator salary of $42,306. If you're qualified, finding work as a Harbor Tug Captain may help you make more money than that of the average Barge Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Harbor Tug Captain | $104,157 | $50.08 |
Oil Tanker Captain | $87,249 | $41.95 |
Master Mariner | $62,798 | $30.19 |
Licensed Boat Captain | $53,531 | $25.74 |
Tug Boat | $44,153 | $21.23 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
