diff --git a/operator/config/samples/opentelemetry/base/otel_collector.yaml b/operator/config/samples/opentelemetry/base/otel_collector.yaml
index f020ad3f..765c4200 100644
--- a/operator/config/samples/opentelemetry/base/otel_collector.yaml
+++ b/operator/config/samples/opentelemetry/base/otel_collector.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ kind: OpenTelemetryCollector
 metadata:
   name: otel
 spec:
-  image: "otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:0.160.0@sha256:799dc6cf12c96192af37b5bdba804da8c10b3bc563b43cb90c3f3c58d9572ad6"
+  image: "otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:0.161.0@sha256:fd328de2552466ad78385e1b1289c3f2402b1c45f265b252aab1955b42845ac1"
   config:
     receivers:
       # otlp receiver to receive data in OTLP format over gRPC. TLS is enabled.
diff --git a/operator/test/e2e/operator_otel_test.go b/operator/test/e2e/operator_otel_test.go
index 6bf1379f..27852848 100644
--- a/operator/test/e2e/operator_otel_test.go
+++ b/operator/test/e2e/operator_otel_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ const (
 	// collectorImage must match the image used in otel.go.
 	//nolint:godot,lll
 	// renovate image: datasource=docker depName=otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib versioning=docker
-	collectorImage       = "otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:0.160.0@sha256:799dc6cf12c96192af37b5bdba804da8c10b3bc563b43cb90c3f3c58d9572ad6"
+	collectorImage       = "otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:0.161.0@sha256:fd328de2552466ad78385e1b1289c3f2402b1c45f265b252aab1955b42845ac1"
 	collectorHTTPPort    = 4318
 	collectorMetricsPort = 9464
 )
diff --git a/operator/test/utils/templates/otel/otel.go b/operator/test/utils/templates/otel/otel.go
index fe897588..322654ae 100644
--- a/operator/test/utils/templates/otel/otel.go
+++ b/operator/test/utils/templates/otel/otel.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const (
 	// CollectorImage is the OTEL collector image.
 	//nolint:godot,lll
 	// renovate image: datasource=docker depName=otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib versioning=docker
-	CollectorImage = "otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:0.160.0@sha256:799dc6cf12c96192af37b5bdba804da8c10b3bc563b43cb90c3f3c58d9572ad6"
+	CollectorImage = "otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib:0.161.0@sha256:fd328de2552466ad78385e1b1289c3f2402b1c45f265b252aab1955b42845ac1"
 	// CollectorPort is the gRPC port for the OTEL collector.
 	CollectorPort = 4317
 	// CollectorMetricsPort is the Prometheus metrics port for the OTEL collector.