Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary by state
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is a professional role within the function in the Construction and Extraction job family.
What Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operatorss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Learn and follow safety regulations.
Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
Top skills:Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringEquipment MaintenanceMonitoringTroubleshootingTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay by experience level
Entry level$43,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$50,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$62,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$80,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$104,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+3.6%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
41,900
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary by industry
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
142,080 workers
$76,000
Specialty Trade Contractors
137,760 workers
$70,000
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
119,340 workers
$69,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
81,930 workers
$58,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
64,660 workers
$58,000
Utility System Construction
62,660 workers
$74,500
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
58,950 workers
$80,000
Construction of Buildings
22,460 workers
$73,000
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
18,690 workers
$72,500
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
18,530 workers
$64,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pays 5% above the average across 63 roles in the Construction and Extraction job family (family average $65,000).
Similar-paying roles in Construction and Extraction
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators make?
The average base salary for a Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in the United States is $68,500 per year, or about $32.93 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $50,500 and $80,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Construction and Extraction roles?
The Construction and Extraction job family averages $65,000 across 63 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
