Heavy Equipment Operator salary: $59,850 median, and how to negotiate yours.
The full pay range by percentile, every state, the top-paying metro areas and similar roles, from the latest BLS survey. Place your own offer on the range.
Hourly pay, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $20.28 · 25th $23.40 · median $28.78 · 75th $37.10 · 90th $48.60.
The median annual wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in the United States was $59,850 in May 2025 (BLS). The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,190 and the top 10% earned more than $101,090. That median is 1.2 times the $50,980 median for all occupations. The highest-paying state was Hawaii ($115,860).
Data Government data groups this job as Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (O*NET-SOC 47-2073.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
- 10th percentile
- $42,190
- lowest-paid 10% earn less
- 25th percentile
- $48,680
- a quarter earn less
- 75th percentile
- $77,170
- a quarter earn more
- 90th percentile
- $101,090
- top 10% earn more
More on heavy equipment operator pay
The median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in the United States was $28.78 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The middle half of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in the United States earned between $48,680 and $77,170 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The lowest-paid 10% of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in the United States earned less than $42,190 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $101,090 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The mean annual wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in the United States was $66,290 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS estimated that 478,090 people were employed as operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Heavy Equipment Operator salary in every state
Data BLS state estimates, May 2025. 51 states and DC published a median for this occupation. Sort by pay or by number employed.
- Hawaii$115,860
- Illinois$97,740
- New Jersey$89,660
- California$87,160
- Washington$81,700
- Texas55,540
- California36,020
- Florida27,510
- Pennsylvania22,120
- Ohio16,920
| State | 10th–90th percentile | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $115,860 | $62,390–$129,590 | 2,380 |
| Illinois | $97,740 | $49,770–$123,330 | 12,290 |
| New Jersey | $89,660 | $50,760–$133,330 | 5,980 |
| California | $87,160 | $52,760–$132,210 | 36,020 |
| Washington | $81,700 | $57,200–$125,490 | 10,290 |
| New York | $80,980 | $50,190–$144,920 | 14,490 |
| Indiana | $79,580 | $47,630–$98,850 | 11,520 |
| Minnesota | $79,130 | $55,960–$101,930 | 8,590 |
| Connecticut | $78,750 | $60,000–$106,920 | 2,860 |
| Alaska | $77,810 | $62,390–$103,900 | 3,050 |
| Massachusetts | $76,820 | $52,630–$125,400 | 9,680 |
| Wisconsin | $75,280 | $51,370–$100,140 | 8,140 |
| District of Columbia | $74,610 | $50,540–$98,270 | 620 |
| Oregon | $73,430 | $53,410–$117,310 | 5,630 |
| Nevada | $71,410 | $51,050–$111,210 | 5,410 |
| Ohio | $64,940 | $46,850–$98,100 | 16,920 |
| Rhode Island | $63,610 | $52,460–$98,870 | 970 |
| Wyoming | $62,960 | $48,370–$85,630 | 3,800 |
| Michigan | $62,690 | $46,370–$90,580 | 9,500 |
| Colorado | $62,620 | $49,480–$78,870 | 11,700 |
| New Hampshire | $62,200 | $49,770–$87,730 | 1,330 |
| North Dakota | $62,150 | $49,840–$100,570 | 4,890 |
| Idaho | $61,680 | $47,230–$79,650 | 4,270 |
| Montana | $61,580 | $48,130–$79,880 | 3,750 |
| Maryland | $61,410 | $46,760–$78,870 | 6,610 |
| Utah | $60,740 | $47,420–$75,880 | 7,880 |
| Arizona | $60,620 | $47,680–$79,460 | 13,200 |
| Missouri | $60,540 | $43,290–$94,130 | 10,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,530 | $46,780–$94,930 | 22,120 |
| Iowa | $60,330 | $46,690–$87,460 | 5,530 |
| South Dakota | $59,500 | $47,260–$75,880 | 2,050 |
| Vermont | $58,870 | $50,270–$73,860 | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $58,360 | $44,620–$75,700 | 3,180 |
| Delaware | $58,020 | $39,090–$97,520 | 1,230 |
| Kentucky | $57,780 | $44,620–$80,890 | 7,050 |
| Virginia | $57,160 | $40,870–$78,250 | 12,100 |
| Maine | $56,140 | $46,200–$75,390 | 2,210 |
| New Mexico | $52,000 | $44,800–$69,690 | 5,520 |
| Tennessee | $52,000 | $41,600–$75,430 | 10,660 |
| Louisiana | $51,700 | $37,440–$75,180 | 7,860 |
| Kansas | $51,620 | $39,520–$85,420 | 7,070 |
| West Virginia | $51,300 | $36,500–$76,970 | 7,830 |
| Texas | $50,460 | $38,900–$70,010 | 55,540 |
| Florida | $49,400 | $38,820–$64,020 | 27,510 |
| North Carolina | $49,310 | $39,050–$64,450 | 16,580 |
| South Carolina | $48,940 | $38,720–$64,330 | 8,160 |
| Oklahoma | $47,970 | $37,440–$64,380 | 7,050 |
| Georgia | $47,880 | $37,810–$62,840 | 15,700 |
| Alabama | $47,520 | $36,230–$67,690 | 9,640 |
| Mississippi | $47,410 | $36,180–$67,030 | 4,170 |
| Arkansas | $44,520 | $35,520–$58,670 | 5,800 |
Where the median is highest
Data Metropolitan areas with at least 100 people employed in the occupation, BLS May 2025.
How the pay compares
Data National medians for related occupations (O*NET related roles, BLS pay).
Ask for more, calmly and in writing
Advice Uses only what you type. Replace anything in brackets with something true.
Our view If you cite market data, cite this page's source: the BLS median for your state and the percentile your offer sits at. A specific, sourced number is easier to agree to than a feeling.
What OEWS reports by employing industry
Data Median and mean annual wage for heavy equipment operator jobs in the industries employing the most of them (May 2025). Among the 8 industries here that meet TryHired's reliability rule (5,000+ jobs, 5%+ of establishments reporting, low sampling error, a non-degenerate wage distribution), OEWS reports the highest median for those employed in highway, street, and bridge construction ($71,260).
| Industry | Jobs | Median annual wage | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 119,340 | $60,160 | $66,640 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 64,660 | $52,080 | $56,170 |
| Utility System Construction | 62,660 | $61,740 | $71,740 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 58,950 | $71,260 | $77,380 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 18,690 | $60,730 | $69,980 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 15,110 | $64,350 | $72,370 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 14,510 | $51,830 | $56,170 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 10,050 | $69,360 | $75,260 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates (A_MEDIAN and A_MEAN fields), detailed industries with at least 1,000 such jobs. Since May 2025 OEWS publishes specific values for many wages that used to appear only as “$239,200 or more”; values BLS still marks that way are shown that way. Industry estimates differ; they are not a forecast of anyone's pay after a move.
How this page is built
Wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates for May 2025 (national, state and metropolitan area), for the occupation shown. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include base pay, commissions, production bonuses and tips, and exclude overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation, not entry or senior levels.
- Pay at a specific employer, or for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Experience level: percentiles are not seniority bands.
- Equity, bonuses outside OEWS's definition, and benefits.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.
More for Heavy Equipment Operators
What the job is, skills, tools, pay and related roles.
Open →How to becomeHeavy Equipment Operator how to becomeEducation, training and the skills to build first.
Open →ResumeHeavy Equipment Operator resumeKeywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.
Open →Interview questionsHeavy Equipment Operator interview questionsQuestions with what they test, plus practice mode.
Open →Free toolCheck your resumeParsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.
Open →