System Operator
System Operator Salary
$22.5K - $36.5K
8% of jobs
$43.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$36.5K - $50.5K
35% of jobs
The median wage is $55.9K / yr.
$50.5K - $64.5K
19% of jobs
$77K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$64.5K - $78.5K
15% of jobs
$78.5K - $92.5K
11% of jobs
$92.5K - $106.5K
5% of jobs
$106.5K - $120.5K
3% of jobs
$120.5K - $134.5K
2% of jobs
$134.5K - $148.5K
1% of jobs
$148.5K - $162.5K
1% of jobs
$162.5K - $176.5K
1% of jobs
$22.5K
$56.5K
$174K
$67,988
/year
$32.69
/hour
System Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$67,988
Columbus
Ohio
$65,669
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How much does a System Operator make?
As of Jun 12, 2026, the average annual pay for a System Operator in the United States is $67,988 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $32.69 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,307/week or $5,665/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $174,000 and as low as $22,500, the majority of System Operator salaries currently range between $40,500 (25th percentile) to $79,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $112,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a System Operator varies greatly (by as much as 39000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A System Operator in your area makes on average $65,669 per year, or $2,319 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $67,988. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for System Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for System Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a System Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for System Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a System 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 $13,916 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $16,351 (24.0%) above the $67,988 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a System Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Nome, AK, and Daly City, 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 System Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $84,339 | $40.55 |
Berkeley, CA | $83,247 | $40.02 |
Sitka, AK | $81,904 | $39.38 |
Menlo Park, CA | $80,121 | $38.52 |
San Francisco, CA | $80,101 | $38.51 |
Santa Clara, CA | $79,847 | $38.39 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $79,794 | $38.36 |
San Jose, CA | $79,554 | $38.25 |
Patterson, OH | $79,227 | $38.09 |
Daly City, CA | $78,777 | $37.87 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related System Operator Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the System Operator job category, we found that Backhoe Operator jobs have average salaries similar than System Operator jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Backhoe Operator | $56,952 | $27.38 |
Dynamic Positioning Operator | $50,869 | $24.46 |
Printing Operator | $39,213 | $18.85 |
Work From Home Tajima Embroidery Machine Operator | $34,326 | $16.50 |
Scanning Operator | $33,693 | $16.20 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
