What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Operator Engineer?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Operator Engineer jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Palmdale, CA (49.0% above average), followed by Fremont, CA and Willow Island, WV. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Palmdale, CA $126,654 $10,554 $2,435 $60.89 Fremont, CA $119,760 $9,980 $2,303 $57.58 Willow Island, WV $118,094 $9,841 $2,271 $56.78 Pennington County, SD $112,686 $9,390 $2,167 $54.18 Burlington, MA $111,495 $9,291 $2,144 $53.60 Springfield, VA $109,791 $9,149 $2,111 $52.78 Chittenden County, VT $106,635 $8,886 $2,050 $51.27 Nome, AK $105,478 $8,789 $2,028 $50.71 Shakopee, MN $104,972 $8,747 $2,018 $50.47 Berkeley, CA $104,112 $8,676 $2,002 $50.05

Operator Engineer

Operator Engineer Salary

Q: How much does an Operator Engineer make?

The average annual pay for an operator engineer in the United States is $85,029 a year — that works out to approximately $40.88 an hour. The middle 80% of Operator Engineers earn between $59,500 (10th percentile) and $118,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Operator Engineer Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Operator Engineer in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Machine Tool Operator at $32,622 (38.4%) above Operator Engineer. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Machine Tool Operator $52,407 $4,367 $1,007 $25.20 Lead Machinist $51,047 $4,253 $981 $24.54 Boring Machine Operator $43,062 $3,588 $828 $20.70 Milling Machine Operator $41,401 $3,450 $796 $19.90 Laser Machine Operator $40,953 $3,412 $787 $19.69

$36K

$81.5K

$135K

$85,029

/year

$40.88

/hour

Operator Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$85,029

Columbus

Ohio

$82,129

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How much does an Operator Engineer make?

As of Jun 16, 2026, the average annual pay for an Operator Engineer in the United States is $85,029 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $40.88 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,635/week or $7,085/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $135,000 and as low as $36,000, the majority of Operator Engineer salaries currently range between $69,500 (25th percentile) to $94,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $118,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Operator Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 24500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Operator Engineer in your area makes on average $82,129 per year, or $2,900 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $85,029. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Operator Engineer salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Operator Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Operator Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Operator Engineer Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Operator Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Palmdale, CA, , with Fremont, CA, and Willow Island, WV, close behind in the second and third positions. Willow Island, WV, beats the national average by $33,065 (38.9%), and Palmdale, CA, furthers that trend with another $41,625 (49.0%) above the $85,029 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Operator Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 19% between Palmdale, CA, and Berkeley, CA, , 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 an Operator Engineer role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Palmdale, CA	$126,654	$10,554	$2,435	$60.89
Fremont, CA	$119,760	$9,980	$2,303	$57.58
Willow Island, WV	$118,094	$9,841	$2,271	$56.78
Pennington County, SD	$112,686	$9,390	$2,167	$54.18
Burlington, MA	$111,495	$9,291	$2,144	$53.60
Springfield, VA	$109,791	$9,149	$2,111	$52.78
Chittenden County, VT	$106,635	$8,886	$2,050	$51.27
Nome, AK	$105,478	$8,789	$2,028	$50.71
Shakopee, MN	$104,972	$8,747	$2,018	$50.47
Berkeley, CA	$104,112	$8,676	$2,002	$50.05

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Operator Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Operator Engineer job category, we found that Machine Tool Operator jobs have average salaries similar than Operator Engineer jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Machine Tool Operator	$52,407	$4,367	$1,007	$25.20
Lead Machinist	$51,047	$4,253	$981	$24.54
Boring Machine Operator	$43,062	$3,588	$828	$20.70
Milling Machine Operator	$41,401	$3,450	$796	$19.90
Laser Machine Operator	$40,953	$3,412	$787	$19.69

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Operator Engineer salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $85,029 per year or $40.88 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries Operator Engineer Salary