How Much Do System Operators Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary system operators make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for system operators and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of system operators are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much system operators can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for System Operators
According to data from 2023, there were about 336,735 positions for system operators in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for system operators was reported to be $95,347. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 80,204 job postings related to positions for system operators.
How Much Money Do System Operators Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money system operators and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for system operators.
Annual Salary for System Operators
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for system operators and related professions earned about $58,677 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $148,699 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for system operators in the United States in 2023 was $95,347.
Annual Salary Range For System Operators In 2023
Hourly Salary for System Operators
The BLS also breaks down compensation for system operators by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for system operators in 2023 was $46. Lowest hourly earners took home $28 while the highest reported hourly salaries for system operators was $71.
Hourly Salary Range For System Operators In 2023
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Advertised Compensation for System Operators
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for system operators, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for system operators.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for System Operators
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 92,738 job postings related to system operators, advertised salary was included in 31,772 of them, which was 34%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for system operators was $95,104 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for System Operators
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for system operators. Based on 40% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for system operators in the United States is about $46.
Salary Trend for System Operators
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for system operators. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for system operators dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for system operators have increased 19%.
Advertised Wage Trend For System Operators
What's the Job Growth for System Operators?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for system operators over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 336,095 jobs for system operators in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 26,772 jobs will be added. That's a 8% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For System Operators
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about system operators? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for system operators.
What do system operators do?
System Operators: How do you become one?
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