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How Much Does a Heavy Equipment Operator Make?
A heavy equipment operator in the US earns a median salary of $59,850 a year, or $28.78 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $66,290, and the middle half earn between $48,680 and $77,170.
Heavy equipment operator pay range
What heavy equipment operators earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $42,190 | $20.28 | |
| 25th | $48,680 | $23.40 | |
| Median (50th) | $59,850 | $28.78 | |
| 75th | $77,170 | $37.10 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $101,090 | $48.60 |
The median is 17% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 478,090 people work as heavy equipment operators in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,151
- Every two weeks
- $2,302
- Twice a month
- $2,494
- A month
- $4,988
At the median salary, before tax.
Heavy equipment operator salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays heavy equipment operators the most, at $102,020 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $102,020 | $115,860 | 2,380 | After tax |
| California | $94,000 | $87,160 | 36,020 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $93,270 | $89,660 | 5,980 | After tax |
| New York | $90,690 | $80,980 | 14,490 | After tax |
| Illinois | $90,500 | $97,740 | 12,290 | After tax |
| Washington | $88,290 | $81,700 | 10,290 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $84,730 | $76,820 | 9,680 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $83,380 | $78,750 | 2,860 | After tax |
| Alaska | $82,680 | $77,810 | 3,050 | After tax |
| Oregon | $79,270 | $73,430 | 5,630 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $79,070 | $79,130 | 8,590 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $77,770 | $75,280 | 8,140 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $76,470 | $74,610 | 620 | After tax |
| Nevada | $76,050 | $71,410 | 5,410 | After tax |
| Indiana | $75,300 | $79,580 | 11,520 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $72,470 | $63,610 | 970 | After tax |
| Ohio | $71,830 | $64,940 | 16,920 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $68,640 | $62,150 | 4,890 | After tax |
| Missouri | $67,960 | $60,540 | 10,470 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $67,270 | $62,200 | 1,330 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $67,010 | $62,960 | 3,800 | After tax |
| Michigan | $66,920 | $62,690 | 9,500 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $65,920 | $60,530 | 22,120 | After tax |
| Colorado | $64,550 | $62,620 | 11,700 | After tax |
| Idaho | $63,920 | $61,680 | 4,270 | After tax |
| Iowa | $63,770 | $60,330 | 5,530 | After tax |
| Montana | $63,350 | $61,580 | 3,750 | After tax |
| Maryland | $61,650 | $61,410 | 6,610 | After tax |
| Arizona | $61,520 | $60,620 | 13,200 | After tax |
| Utah | $60,840 | $60,740 | 7,880 | After tax |
| Delaware | $60,690 | $58,020 | 1,230 | After tax |
| Vermont | $60,310 | $58,870 | 1,280 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $59,330 | $59,500 | 2,050 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $59,320 | $57,780 | 7,050 | After tax |
| Virginia | $58,400 | $57,160 | 12,100 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $58,240 | $58,360 | 3,180 | After tax |
| Maine | $58,230 | $56,140 | 2,210 | After tax |
| Kansas | $57,540 | $51,620 | 7,070 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $55,380 | $51,700 | 7,860 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $55,050 | $52,000 | 10,660 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $54,810 | $52,000 | 5,520 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $54,480 | $51,300 | 7,830 | After tax |
| Texas | $53,740 | $50,460 | 55,540 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $53,470 | $47,650 | 120 | |
| Florida | $52,590 | $49,400 | 27,510 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $52,310 | $49,310 | 16,580 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $51,640 | $48,940 | 8,160 | After tax |
| Alabama | $50,680 | $47,520 | 9,640 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $50,110 | $47,970 | 7,050 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $50,010 | $47,410 | 4,170 | After tax |
| Georgia | $49,660 | $47,880 | 15,700 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $45,890 | $44,520 | 5,800 | After tax |
| Guam | $42,890 | $39,170 | 650 | |
| Puerto Rico | $32,380 | $29,810 | 2,400 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other construction and extraction jobs
- Construction laborer $47,120 median
- First-line supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers $79,920 median
- Electrician $63,190 median
- Carpenter $60,580 median
- Plumber $63,800 median
- Painter, construction and maintenance $49,400 median
- Cement mason and concrete finisher $57,020 median
- Highway maintenance worker $50,260 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators” (SOC 47-2073). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heavy equipment operator make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a heavy equipment operator is $28.78, and the average is $31.87. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $20.28 an hour and the top 10% over $48.60.
How much does a heavy equipment operator make a month?
At the median salary of $59,850, a heavy equipment operator earns about $4,988 a month before tax, or $2,302 every two weeks.
Which state pays heavy equipment operators the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for a heavy equipment operator, at $102,020 a year. Next are California and New Jersey. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a heavy equipment operator?
The lowest-paid 10% of heavy equipment operators earn less than $42,190 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $48,680. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid heavy equipment operators make?
The top 10% earn more than $101,090 a year, and the top 25% more than $77,170.
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