Cat Operator Salary
$22K - $27K
1% of jobs
$27K - $32K
4% of jobs
$32K - $37K
18% of jobs
$37.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$37K - $42K
24% of jobs
The median wage is $42.5K / yr.
$42K - $47K
37% of jobs
$47K - $52K
4% of jobs
$52K - $57K
2% of jobs
$57K - $62K
4% of jobs
$62K - $67K
2% of jobs
$67K - $72K
1% of jobs
$72K - $77K
3% of jobs
$22K
$42.5K
$77K
$47,930
/year
$23.04
/hour
Cat Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$47,930
Columbus
Ohio
$46,296
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How much does a Cat Operator make?
As of Aug 6, 2026, the average annual pay for a Cat Operator in the United States is $47,930 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $23.04 an hour. This is the equivalent of $921/week or $3,994/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $77,000 and as low as $22,000, the majority of Cat Operator salaries currently range between $37,500 (25th percentile) to $45,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $66,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Cat Operator varies little (about 8000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Cat Operator in your area makes on average $46,296 per year, or $1,634 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $47,930. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Cat Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Cat Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Cat Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Cat Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Cat Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Truckee, CA, , with Pennington County, SD, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $11,527 (24.0%), and Truckee, CA, furthers that trend with another $16,657 (34.8%) above the $47,930 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Cat Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 13% between Truckee, CA, and Santa Clara, 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 Cat Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Truckee, CA | $64,587 | $31.05 |
Pennington County, SD | $62,912 | $30.25 |
Nome, AK | $59,457 | $28.59 |
60501, IL | $58,882 | $28.31 |
Berkeley, CA | $58,688 | $28.22 |
Sitka, AK | $57,741 | $27.76 |
San Jose, CA | $56,841 | $27.33 |
Spearfish, SD | $56,498 | $27.16 |
San Francisco, CA | $56,470 | $27.15 |
Santa Clara, CA | $56,291 | $27.06 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Cat Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Cat Operator category.
For example Heavy Haul Owner Operators jobs pay as much as $180,645 (376.9%) more than the average Cat Operator salary of $47,930. If you're qualified, finding work as a Heavy Haul Owner Operators may help you make more money than that of the average Cat Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Heavy Haul Owner Operators | $228,575 | $109.89 |
Mobile Repair | $68,648 | $33.00 |
Heavy Equipment Service Technician | $59,344 | $28.53 |
John Deere Technician | $54,605 | $26.25 |
Jimmy Johns Delivery Driver | $38,383 | $18.45 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
