How much do heavy equipment operators make in 2026?
Heavy equipment operators earned a national median of $59,850 a year ($28.78/hr) in the latest federal wage data available (BLS OEWS, May 2025 estimates). BLS counts about 478,090 people employed in this occupation in the U.S.
Annual and hourly wages, all U.S. industries. Occupation used: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What the percentiles mean
The median is the middle: half of heavy equipment operators earned more and half earned less. The 25th–75th percentile range ($48,680–$77,170) is what the middle half of workers earned. Newer workers and apprentices tend to be near the low end, and experienced, licensed or specialized workers near the high end. BLS does not publish pay by years of experience, so treat any experience-based number as an estimate.
Heavy equipment operators pay by state
BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates. "Not published" means BLS did not release that estimate (too few survey responses, or not enough workers to publish).
| State | Median / yr | Median / hr | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,520 | $22.84 | $36,230 | $67,690 | 9,640 |
| Alaska | $77,810 | $37.41 | $62,390 | $103,900 | 3,050 |
| Arizona | $60,620 | $29.14 | $47,680 | $79,460 | 13,200 |
| Arkansas | $44,520 | $21.41 | $35,520 | $58,670 | 5,800 |
| California | $87,160 | $41.90 | $52,760 | $132,210 | 36,020 |
| Colorado | $62,620 | $30.11 | $49,480 | $78,870 | 11,700 |
| Connecticut | $78,750 | $37.86 | $60,000 | $106,920 | 2,860 |
| Delaware | $58,020 | $27.89 | $39,090 | $97,520 | 1,230 |
| District of Columbia | $74,610 | $35.87 | $50,540 | $98,270 | 620 |
| Florida | $49,400 | $23.75 | $38,820 | $64,020 | 27,510 |
| Georgia | $47,880 | $23.02 | $37,810 | $62,840 | 15,700 |
| Hawaii | $115,860 | $55.70 | $62,390 | $129,590 | 2,380 |
| Idaho | $61,680 | $29.66 | $47,230 | $79,650 | 4,270 |
| Illinois | $97,740 | $46.99 | $49,770 | $123,330 | 12,290 |
| Indiana | $79,580 | $38.26 | $47,630 | $98,850 | 11,520 |
| Iowa | $60,330 | $29.01 | $46,690 | $87,460 | 5,530 |
| Kansas | $51,620 | $24.82 | $39,520 | $85,420 | 7,070 |
| Kentucky | $57,780 | $27.78 | $44,620 | $80,890 | 7,050 |
| Louisiana | $51,700 | $24.86 | $37,440 | $75,180 | 7,860 |
| Maine | $56,140 | $26.99 | $46,200 | $75,390 | 2,210 |
| Maryland | $61,410 | $29.53 | $46,760 | $78,870 | 6,610 |
| Massachusetts | $76,820 | $36.93 | $52,630 | $125,400 | 9,680 |
| Michigan | $62,690 | $30.14 | $46,370 | $90,580 | 9,500 |
| Minnesota | $79,130 | $38.04 | $55,960 | $101,930 | 8,590 |
| Mississippi | $47,410 | $22.79 | $36,180 | $67,030 | 4,170 |
| Missouri | $60,540 | $29.10 | $43,290 | $94,130 | 10,470 |
| Montana | $61,580 | $29.61 | $48,130 | $79,880 | 3,750 |
| Nebraska | $58,360 | $28.06 | $44,620 | $75,700 | 3,180 |
| Nevada | $71,410 | $34.33 | $51,050 | $111,210 | 5,410 |
| New Hampshire | $62,200 | $29.91 | $49,770 | $87,730 | 1,330 |
| New Jersey | $89,660 | $43.11 | $50,760 | $133,330 | 5,980 |
| New Mexico | $52,000 | $25.00 | $44,800 | $69,690 | 5,520 |
| New York | $80,980 | $38.94 | $50,190 | $144,920 | 14,490 |
| North Carolina | $49,310 | $23.71 | $39,050 | $64,450 | 16,580 |
| North Dakota | $62,150 | $29.88 | $49,840 | $100,570 | 4,890 |
| Ohio | $64,940 | $31.22 | $46,850 | $98,100 | 16,920 |
| Oklahoma | $47,970 | $23.06 | $37,440 | $64,380 | 7,050 |
| Oregon | $73,430 | $35.30 | $53,410 | $117,310 | 5,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,530 | $29.10 | $46,780 | $94,930 | 22,120 |
| Rhode Island | $63,610 | $30.58 | $52,460 | $98,870 | 970 |
| South Carolina | $48,940 | $23.53 | $38,720 | $64,330 | 8,160 |
| South Dakota | $59,500 | $28.61 | $47,260 | $75,880 | 2,050 |
| Tennessee | $52,000 | $25.00 | $41,600 | $75,430 | 10,660 |
| Texas | $50,460 | $24.26 | $38,900 | $70,010 | 55,540 |
| Utah | $60,740 | $29.20 | $47,420 | $75,880 | 7,880 |
| Vermont | $58,870 | $28.30 | $50,270 | $73,860 | 1,280 |
| Virginia | $57,160 | $27.48 | $40,870 | $78,250 | 12,100 |
| Washington | $81,700 | $39.28 | $57,200 | $125,490 | 10,290 |
| West Virginia | $51,300 | $24.66 | $36,500 | $76,970 | 7,830 |
| Wisconsin | $75,280 | $36.19 | $51,370 | $100,140 | 8,140 |
| Wyoming | $62,960 | $30.27 | $48,370 | $85,630 | 3,800 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,810 | $14.33 | $22,420 | $42,970 | 2,400 |
How to earn more as a heavy equipment operator
- Get trained and certified on several machines (excavator, dozer, loader, grader). Multi-machine operators work more hours.
- Get a nationally accredited crane certification, which is often required to operate cranes, and a CDL to haul equipment.
- Heavy civil, pipeline and mining jobs often pay more than site-prep work.
- Look at union (IUOE) apprenticeships and compare total pay including benefits.
- Learn GPS grade-control systems and fine grading to stand out.
Find heavy equipment operator work
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FAQ
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour?
The national median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073) was $28.78 an hour, or $59,850 a year, in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. Half earned more and half earned less.
What do the highest-paid heavy equipment operators earn?
The top 10% earned at least $101,090 a year ($48.60/hr). The bottom 10% earned less than $42,190 ($20.28/hr).
Which states pay heavy equipment operators the most?
By median annual wage in the BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates: Hawaii ($115,860); Illinois ($97,740); New Jersey ($89,660). Living costs differ by state, too.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 47-2073 (Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators). They cover wage and salary workers in all industries, not the self-employed, and are not broken out by experience.
Source and method
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Files oesm25nat and oesm25st from bls.gov, downloaded Nov 8, 2026. Occupation: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073), cross-industry, all ownerships. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include commissions, production bonuses, tips and on-call pay, and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. Annual wages are generally the hourly wage times 2,080 hours. "Not published" = estimate not released by BLS. BLS occupation profile · All pay guides