Lead Operator Salary
$31.5K - $35K
3% of jobs
$35K - $38.5K
7% of jobs
$41.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$38.5K - $42K
20% of jobs
$42K - $45.5K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $47K / yr.
$45.5K - $49K
12% of jobs
$49K - $52.5K
13% of jobs
$54.9K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$52.5K - $56K
7% of jobs
$56K - $59.5K
7% of jobs
$59.5K - $63K
6% of jobs
$63K - $66.5K
5% of jobs
$66.5K - $70K
4% of jobs
$31.5K
$48.5K
$72.5K
$51,047
/year
$24.54
/hour
Lead Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$51,047
Columbus
Ohio
$49,306
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How much does a Lead Operator make?
As of Aug 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lead Operator in the United States is $51,047 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.54 an hour. This is the equivalent of $981/week or $4,253/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $72,500 and as low as $31,500, the majority of Lead Operator salaries currently range between $42,000 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $67,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lead Operator varies greatly (by as much as 16000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Lead Operator in your area makes on average $49,306 per year, or $1,741 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $51,047. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Lead Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lead Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Lead Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lead Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lead 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 $10,449 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $12,277 (24.1%) above the $51,047 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lead 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 Keystone, CO, , 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 Lead Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $63,324 | $30.44 |
Berkeley, CA | $62,504 | $30.05 |
Sitka, AK | $61,496 | $29.57 |
Danville, IA | $61,080 | $29.37 |
Westport, MA | $61,025 | $29.34 |
San Francisco, CA | $60,142 | $28.91 |
Santa Clara, CA | $59,952 | $28.82 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $59,912 | $28.80 |
Livermore, CA | $59,878 | $28.79 |
Keystone, CO | $59,869 | $28.78 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lead Operator Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Lead Operator job category, we found that Computer Integrated Manufacturing Operator Cim Operator jobs have average salaries similar than Lead Operator jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Computer Integrated Manufacturing Operator Cim Operator | $50,704 | $24.38 |
Print Press | $44,992 | $21.63 |
Processing Operator | $43,984 | $21.15 |
Finishing Operator | $37,670 | $18.11 |
Screen Printing Machine Operator | $33,757 | $16.23 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
