Gaffer Salary
$21K - $27.5K
0% of jobs
$27.5K - $34K
6% of jobs
$34K - $40.5K
6% of jobs
$40.5K - $47K
10% of jobs
$48K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$47K - $53.5K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $57.7K / yr.
$53.5K - $60K
21% of jobs
$60K - $66.5K
15% of jobs
$68.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$66.5K - $73K
9% of jobs
$73K - $79.5K
8% of jobs
$79.5K - $86K
7% of jobs
$86K - $92.5K
4% of jobs
$21K
$57.5K
$91.5K
$60,059
/year
$28.87
/hour
Gaffer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$60,059
Columbus
Ohio
$58,011
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How much does a Gaffer make?
As of Sep 5, 2026, the average annual pay for a Gaffer in the United States is $60,059 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.87 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,154/week or $5,004/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $91,500 and as low as $21,000, the majority of Gaffer salaries currently range between $48,500 (25th percentile) to $70,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $83,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Gaffer varies greatly (by as much as 22000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Gaffer in your area makes on average $58,011 per year, or $2,048 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $60,059. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Gaffer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Gaffer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Gaffer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Gaffer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Gaffer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pleasanton, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $14,038 (23.4%), and Pleasanton, CA, furthers that trend with another $16,206 (27.0%) above the $60,059 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Gaffer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Pleasanton, CA, and Andover, MA, , 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 Gaffer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Pleasanton, CA | $76,265 | $36.67 |
Nome, AK | $74,503 | $35.82 |
Cupertino, CA | $74,097 | $35.62 |
Berkeley, CA | $73,538 | $35.35 |
Aspen, CO | $72,594 | $34.90 |
Sitka, AK | $72,351 | $34.78 |
Pennington County, SD | $72,226 | $34.72 |
Snowmass Village, CO | $71,219 | $34.24 |
Santa Clara, CA | $70,928 | $34.10 |
Andover, MA | $70,848 | $34.06 |
What are Top 1 Best Paying Related Gaffer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Gaffer job category, we found that Museum Preparator jobs have average salaries similar than Gaffer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Museum Preparator | $57,651 | $27.72 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
