Instrument Operator
Instrument Operator Salary
$31K - $34K
6% of jobs
$34K - $37K
12% of jobs
$38.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$37K - $40K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $42.9K / yr.
$40K - $43K
18% of jobs
$43K - $46K
17% of jobs
$47.6K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$46K - $49K
15% of jobs
$49K - $52K
7% of jobs
$52K - $55K
3% of jobs
$55K - $58K
3% of jobs
$58K - $61K
3% of jobs
$61K - $64K
3% of jobs
$31K
$43.5K
$65.5K
$45,383
/year
$21.82
/hour
Instrument Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$45,383
Columbus
Ohio
$43,835
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How much does an Instrument Operator make?
As of Jul 18, 2026, the average annual pay for an Instrument Operator in the United States is $45,383 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.82 an hour. This is the equivalent of $872/week or $3,781/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $65,500 and as low as $31,000, the majority of Instrument Operator salaries currently range between $39,000 (25th percentile) to $49,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $59,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Instrument Operator varies greatly (by as much as 10000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
An Instrument Operator in your area makes on average $43,835 per year, or $1,548 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $45,383. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Instrument Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Instrument Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Instrument Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Instrument Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Instrument Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $9,289 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $10,914 (24.0%) above the $45,383 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Instrument Operator 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 Nome, AK, and Oakland, 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 an Instrument Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $56,297 | $27.07 |
Berkeley, CA | $55,569 | $26.72 |
Sitka, AK | $54,672 | $26.28 |
San Francisco, CA | $53,469 | $25.71 |
Livermore, CA | $53,234 | $25.59 |
San Jose, CA | $53,188 | $25.57 |
Santa Clara, CA | $52,886 | $25.43 |
Santa Cruz, CA | $52,402 | $25.19 |
Arlington, VA | $52,211 | $25.10 |
Oakland, CA | $52,121 | $25.06 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Instrument Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Instrument Operator category.
For example Banking Associate jobs pay as much as $95,826 (211.1%) more than the average Instrument Operator salary of $45,383. If you're qualified, finding work as an Banking Associate may help you make more money than that of the average Instrument Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Banking Associate | $141,209 | $67.89 |
Mortgage Banker | $87,736 | $42.18 |
Teller Operations Coordinator | $47,312 | $22.75 |
Graduate Banking | $41,090 | $19.75 |
Vault Processor | $37,042 | $17.81 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
