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Average Surveillance Operator Salary in Mexico for 2026

A surveillance operator in Mexico earns about 163,800 MXN a year. That's 59% below the national average of 398,300 MXN.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Mexico sit around 88,600 MXN a year, while the very top stretches to 247,800 MXN. Everything on this page is in Mexican peso (MXN, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Mexico, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.


How much does a surveillance operator make in Mexico?

Average salary
163,800 MXN
13,650 MXN per month
Lowest reported
88,600 MXN
7,383 MXN per month
Highest reported
247,800 MXN
20,650 MXN per month

A typical surveillance operator working in Mexico brings home around 13,650 MXN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 88,600 MXN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 247,800 MXN for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior surveillance operator working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.


How surveillance operator pay ranges in Mexico

A good way to think about salary in Mexico is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all surveillance operators in Mexico earn less than 152,100 MXN a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 108,320 MXN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 183,700 MXN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of surveillance operators sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 88,600 MXN. The highest stretch to 247,800 MXN, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

88,600
Low
152,100
Median
247,800
High
108,320
25th
183,700
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in MXN

Surveillance operator pay by experience in Mexico

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a surveillance operator in Mexico, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical surveillance operator salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    104,600 MXN
  • 2-5 Years
    +23% from previous
    128,900 MXN
  • 5-10 Years
    +34% from previous
    172,200 MXN
  • 10-15 Years
    +17% from previous
    201,100 MXN
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    221,500 MXN
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    239,000 MXN

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. That is the point at which a surveillance operator typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Surveillance operator pay by education in Mexico

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving surveillance operator pay in Mexico. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average surveillance operator salary in Mexico broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    143,200 MXN
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +55% from previous
    221,500 MXN

Surveillance operator gender pay gap in Mexico

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Mexico is no exception. Male surveillance operators in Mexico earn an average of 172,200 MXN a year, while female surveillance operators earn around 158,700 MXN. That works out to a 9% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Surveillance Operator gender pay gap

8%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Mexico.

Men 172,200 MXN
Women 158,700 MXN

Pay raises for a surveillance operator in Mexico

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Mexico sees a raise of about 8% every 19 months, which works out to roughly 5% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Mexico, the national average raise is around 8% every 18 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Mexico:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
    2%
  • Construction
  • Education
    1%

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Surveillance operator bonus rates in Mexico

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

24%

24% of surveillance operators in Mexico reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a surveillance operator a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 2% of base salary. The remaining 76% of surveillance operators reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Mexico

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Surveillance operator: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Mexico is about 8% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

8%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Mexico on average.

Public sector 415,900 MXN
Private sector 384,200 MXN

Surveillance operator salary by city in Mexico

Surveillance operator pay is not even across Mexico. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Ecatepec de Morelos
  • Guadalajara
  • Mexico City
  • Chihuahua
  • Zapopan
  • Naucalpan
  • Leon
  • Nezahualcoyotl
  • Saltillo
  • Hermosillo
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
Ecatepec de MorelosCity225,700 MXN238,900 MXN105,300-354,000 MXN
GuadalajaraCity225,300 MXN231,000 MXN111,900-351,900 MXN
Mexico CityCity222,300 MXN205,700 MXN119,700-335,800 MXN
ChihuahuaCity221,500 MXN225,700 MXN106,960-341,900 MXN
ZapopanCity216,800 MXN197,600 MXN115,220-327,800 MXN
NaucalpanCity215,100 MXN228,000 MXN102,020-340,400 MXN
LeonCity212,500 MXN212,500 MXN105,940-330,900 MXN
NezahualcoyotlCity210,500 MXN205,700 MXN111,860-325,900 MXN
SaltilloCity210,500 MXN225,700 MXN98,120-335,100 MXN
HermosilloCity209,700 MXN191,600 MXN112,600-315,900 MXN
MonterreyCity209,700 MXN217,900 MXN101,900-330,700 MXN
AcapulcoCity209,500 MXN214,000 MXN103,840-327,300 MXN
PueblaCity207,800 MXN201,100 MXN105,620-318,800 MXN
MexicaliCity207,800 MXN197,600 MXN106,360-313,700 MXN
TijuanaCity207,800 MXN194,600 MXN107,880-315,700 MXN
AguascalientesCity207,700 MXN207,700 MXN101,960-319,600 MXN
MoreliaCity207,700 MXN205,700 MXN107,680-319,600 MXN
Cuautitlan IzcalliCity204,700 MXN197,600 MXN103,820-311,700 MXN
CancunCity204,700 MXN194,600 MXN106,740-308,300 MXN
ChimalhuacanCity204,700 MXN187,300 MXN111,460-307,400 MXN
Tuxtla GutierrezCity201,100 MXN207,800 MXN97,300-313,700 MXN
CuliacanCity201,100 MXN190,500 MXN106,600-307,400 MXN
ReynosaCity201,100 MXN212,500 MXN93,600-317,700 MXN
Tlalnepantla de BazCity197,600 MXN207,800 MXN96,160-312,400 MXN
San Luis PotosiCity197,600 MXN214,000 MXN89,980-315,900 MXN
MeridaCity197,600 MXN194,600 MXN99,220-305,600 MXN
GuadalupeCity196,800 MXN183,700 MXN101,960-296,000 MXN
TlaquepaqueCity196,800 MXN196,800 MXN96,560-301,600 MXN
TonalaCity196,800 MXN192,000 MXN97,900-301,300 MXN
Ciudad ApodacaCity195,200 MXN207,700 MXN92,880-308,300 MXN
XalapaCity194,600 MXN197,600 MXN96,720-301,700 MXN
QueretaroCity194,600 MXN209,700 MXN88,480-309,800 MXN
TorreonCity194,600 MXN204,700 MXN93,780-307,400 MXN
MatamorosCity192,600 MXN175,900 MXN102,620-288,700 MXN
DurangoCity191,600 MXN191,600 MXN95,720-301,800 MXN
TolucaCity189,300 MXN196,800 MXN90,540-294,700 MXN
VeracruzCity189,300 MXN181,600 MXN99,560-290,800 MXN
TepicCity189,300 MXN185,100 MXN94,380-290,800 MXN
CelayaCity187,500 MXN195,200 MXN88,260-294,300 MXN
Ciudad Lopez MateosCity187,300 MXN204,700 MXN84,560-299,500 MXN
XicoCity183,700 MXN169,000 MXN98,540-275,500 MXN
San Nicolas de los GarzaCity183,600 MXN172,200 MXN96,680-275,500 MXN
IrapuatoCity183,600 MXN190,500 MXN88,620-288,100 MXN
TampicoCity183,600 MXN187,500 MXN91,320-282,500 MXN
VillahermosaCity181,600 MXN181,600 MXN91,520-281,500 MXN
CuernavacaCity180,500 MXN172,400 MXN95,620-275,800 MXN
Ciudad Santa CatarinaCity180,300 MXN183,600 MXN88,620-279,400 MXN
Ciudad ObregonCity180,300 MXN172,200 MXN91,960-273,300 MXN
EnsenadaCity180,300 MXN190,500 MXN83,300-283,400 MXN
Nuevo LaredoCity180,300 MXN191,600 MXN82,920-282,500 MXN
MazatlanCity175,900 MXN168,100 MXN93,340-268,900 MXN
OaxacaCity174,000 MXN172,200 MXN91,320-271,300 MXN
General EscobedoCity174,000 MXN163,800 MXN93,280-266,000 MXN
Ciudad VictoriaCity174,000 MXN174,000 MXN88,260-272,800 MXN
Los MochisCity174,000 MXN187,500 MXN82,920-275,500 MXN
IxtapalucaCity172,400 MXN187,500 MXN80,920-275,200 MXN
Soledad de Graciano SanchezCity172,200 MXN174,000 MXN85,940-267,100 MXN
CoacalcoCity172,200 MXN175,900 MXN80,280-268,900 MXN
PachucaCity172,200 MXN157,600 MXN92,900-258,400 MXN
Los Reyes la PazCity172,200 MXN159,100 MXN93,340-259,100 MXN
CampecheCity172,200 MXN168,100 MXN85,760-263,200 MXN
Gomez PalacioCity164,200 MXN180,300 MXN74,300-263,900 MXN
Villa Nicolas RomeroCity164,200 MXN157,600 MXN88,620-253,400 MXN
AcunaCity164,200 MXN169,000 MXN80,760-259,100 MXN
UruapanCity164,200 MXN172,400 MXN80,580-261,300 MXN
TehuacanCity163,800 MXN163,800 MXN80,500-254,700 MXN
CoatzacoalcosCity163,800 MXN159,100 MXN86,760-253,400 MXN
La PazCity163,800 MXN152,100 MXN88,020-247,800 MXN
Puerto VallartaCity159,500 MXN172,200 MXN76,540-254,700 MXN
Ojo de AguaCity159,500 MXN168,100 MXN78,960-253,400 MXN
Poza RicaCity158,700 MXN159,500 MXN76,280-246,200 MXN
ChicoloapanCity158,700 MXN154,700 MXN80,800-240,500 MXN
NogalesCity158,700 MXN152,100 MXN80,280-239,300 MXN
San Pablo de las SalinasCity154,700 MXN148,300 MXN78,260-237,400 MXN
TapachulaCity154,700 MXN154,700 MXN78,960-238,900 MXN
MonclovaCity152,300 MXN146,200 MXN82,200-233,600 MXN
BuenavistaCity152,300 MXN168,100 MXN69,720-245,300 MXN
MetepecCity152,300 MXN168,100 MXN69,400-245,300 MXN
SalamancaCity152,300 MXN152,100 MXN77,100-239,000 MXN
ChalcoCity152,300 MXN158,700 MXN77,400-239,000 MXN
Cholula de RivadabiaCity152,100 MXN158,700 MXN72,380-239,000 MXN
JiutepecCity152,100 MXN138,200 MXN81,880-227,600 MXN
Ciudad del CarmenCity150,000 MXN150,000 MXN72,740-232,900 MXN
ChilpancingoCity150,000 MXN138,800 MXN79,260-228,500 MXN
CuautlaCity148,300 MXN157,600 MXN70,940-232,400 MXN
ColimaCity148,300 MXN142,300 MXN73,980-228,500 MXN
San Cristobal de las CasasCity146,200 MXN137,400 MXN76,280-222,300 MXN
Ciudad JuarezCity143,200 MXN152,300 MXN64,200-225,300 MXN
Zamora de HidalgoCity142,300 MXN152,100 MXN66,140-225,700 MXN
San Luis Rio ColoradoCity142,300 MXN151,800 MXN70,940-228,500 MXN
Playa del CarmenCity142,300 MXN137,400 MXN73,120-216,800 MXN
Boca del RioCity142,300 MXN130,400 MXN79,360-216,800 MXN
ChetumalCity142,300 MXN142,300 MXN72,420-221,500 MXN
IgualaCity139,100 MXN142,300 MXN67,300-215,100 MXN
CordobaCity138,800 MXN136,200 MXN71,400-214,000 MXN
ManzanilloCity138,800 MXN150,000 MXN66,480-222,300 MXN
Piedras NegrasCity138,200 MXN151,800 MXN63,480-222,300 MXN
Ciudad VallesCity137,400 MXN130,400 MXN70,700-209,700 MXN
MinatitlanCity137,400 MXN134,600 MXN69,780-209,700 MXN
San Juan del RioCity136,200 MXN142,300 MXN65,760-212,500 MXN
FresnilloCity136,200 MXN124,400 MXN71,280-205,700 MXN
San Pedro Garza GarciaCity129,000 MXN139,100 MXN60,400-204,700 MXN
OrizabaCity128,900 MXN128,900 MXN64,200-204,700 MXN
ZacatecasCity128,500 MXN119,900 MXN66,840-195,200 MXN
DeliciasCity128,500 MXN119,900 MXN66,840-195,200 MXN
GuaymasCity125,700 MXN134,600 MXN62,100-200,000 MXN
Hidalgo del ParralCity125,700 MXN125,700 MXN64,300-195,200 MXN
NavojoaCity124,400 MXN136,100 MXN56,640-197,600 MXN


Surveillance Operator in Mexico: FAQs

  • How much does a surveillance operator make per month in Mexico?

    A surveillance operator in Mexico earns about 13,650 MXN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 163,800 MXN.

  • What's the salary range for a surveillance operator in Mexico?

    Entry-level surveillance operators in Mexico start near 88,600 MXN. Top-end pay reaches around 247,800 MXN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 108,320 and 183,700 MXN.

  • Is the median surveillance operator salary in Mexico higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 152,100 MXN, lower than the average of 163,800 MXN. Half of surveillance operators in Mexico earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for surveillance operators in Mexico?

    Men working as a surveillance operator in Mexico earn around 9% more than women on average (172,200 vs 158,700 MXN a year).

  • Do surveillance operators in Mexico get bonuses?

    About 24% of surveillance operators in Mexico reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 2% of base salary.

  • Do surveillance operators earn more in the public or private sector in Mexico?

    In Mexico, the public sector pays a surveillance operator about 8% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do surveillance operators in Mexico get a pay raise?

    A surveillance operator in Mexico sees a raise of around 8% every 19 months, equivalent to roughly 5% a year.