Shear Operator

Shear Operator Salary

$28.5K

$40K

$54K

$40,315

/year

$19.38

/hour

Shear Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$40,315

Columbus

Ohio

$38,940

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    How much does a Shear Operator make?

    As of Jul 31, 2026, the average annual pay for a Shear Operator in the United States is $40,315 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.38 an hour. This is the equivalent of $775/week or $3,359/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $54,000 and as low as $28,500, the majority of Shear Operator salaries currently range between $36,000 (25th percentile) to $44,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $48,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Shear 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 Shear Operator in your area makes on average $38,940 per year, or $1,375 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $40,315. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Shear Operator salaries.

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

    Find your next high paying job as a Shear Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Shear Operator Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Shear 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 $8,252 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $9,696 (24.1%) above the $40,315 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Shear 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 a Shear Operator role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $50,011

    $24.04

    Berkeley, CA

    $49,364

    $23.73

    Sitka, AK

    $48,567

    $23.35

    San Francisco, CA

    $47,498

    $22.84

    Santa Clara, CA

    $47,348

    $22.76

    San Jose, CA

    $47,249

    $22.72

    Daly City, CA

    $46,713

    $22.46

    Santa Cruz, CA

    $46,551

    $22.38

    Arlington, VA

    $46,381

    $22.30

    Oakland, CA

    $46,301

    $22.26

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

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Shear Operator category.

    For example Emery Oleochemicals jobs pay as much as $20,930 (51.9%) more than the average Shear Operator salary of $40,315. If you're qualified, finding work as a Emery Oleochemicals may help you make more money than that of the average Shear Operator position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Emery Oleochemicals

    $61,245

    $29.44

    Plant Designer

    $49,320

    $23.71

    Maintenance Operator

    $47,507

    $22.84

    Bharat Forge

    $41,544

    $19.97

    Welding Operator

    $39,981

    $19.22

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Shear Operator salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $40,315 per year or $19.38 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.