Hydraulic Technician Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
Hydraulic technicians make around $47,090 to $74,000 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, a hydraulic technician’s salary in the US ranges between $47,090 and $74,000, with an average salary of $54,625. As of June 2022, the base salaries for hydraulic technicians are listed as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $52,532 | $47,090 | $48,005 | $51,498 | $74,000 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is a Hydraulic Technician? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
The salary of a hydraulic technician can be impacted by a variety of factors, including experience, education, certification, and job location. Let’s take a closer look at how each of these factors can influence your earnings.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as a hydraulic technician, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your hydraulic technician salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $34,657 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $44,230 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $55,299 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $67,569 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $82,191 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as a hydraulic technician. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average hydraulic technician salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $69,492 |
| San Francisco, CA | $68,234 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $66,928 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $65,583 |
| Charlotte, NC | $62,403 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $47,686 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $47,393 |
| Birmingham, AL | $44,086 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $44,031 |
| Omaha, NE | $41,720 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how a hydraulic technician’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Industrial Mechanic | $47,191 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | $46,803 |
| Maintenance Technician | $39,307 |
| Service Technician | $40,134 |
| Field Service Technician | $46,475 |
| Automotive Technician | $47,254 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $46,763 |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | $50,792 |
| HVAC Technician | $49,242 |
How to increase your hydraulic technician salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a hydraulic technician, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Hydraulic Systems: Understand how hydraulic systems work and be able to troubleshoot issues
- Fluid Power: Understand the principles of fluid power and how it is used in hydraulic systems
- Pneumatics: Understand how pneumatic systems work and how they are used in conjunction with hydraulic systems
- CAD: Be able to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create models and drawings of hydraulic systems
- Machining: Have experience operating machining equipment to create parts for hydraulic systems
2. Negotiate your job offer
When you’re offered a job, be sure to negotiate your salary. This is especially important if you’re being offered a job that’s significantly different from your current one. By negotiating, you could end up with a higher salary, and it’s always worth asking.
3. Seek regular feedback
It’s important to get feedback from your supervisor on a regular basis, so you can identify areas where you need to improve. By showing that you’re willing to work on your weaknesses, you’ll be more likely to receive a raise when it’s time for your annual review.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed June 2, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493011.htm.” Accessed June 2, 2022.
3. Payscale. “Hydraulics Technician Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Hydraulics_Technician/Hourly_Rate.” Accessed June 2, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “Hydraulic Technician Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Hydraulic-Technician-Salary.” Accessed June 2, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed June 2, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Hydraulic Technician Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/hydraulic-technician-salary.” Accessed June 2, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “Hydraulic Technician Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/hydraulic-technician-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm.” Accessed June 2, 2022.