Pay by state · 40 states
Agricultural Equipment Operator Salary by State (2026)
Agricultural Equipment Operators earn the most in Montana at $58,770 a year and the least in Arkansas at $32,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $41,730. All 40 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $58,770Montana
- National median
- $41,730BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $32,060Arkansas
- States reporting
- 40of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Agricultural Equipment Operator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of agricultural equipment operators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MTMontana | $58,770 | $45,500 | $65,890 | 130 | $62,095 |
| 2 | LALouisiana | $58,520 | $36,350 | $61,000 | 270 | $66,344 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $50,020 | $45,250 | $54,870 | N/A | $46,349 |
| 4 | DEDelaware | $49,910 | $46,120 | $57,100 | 40 | $50,006 |
| 5 | MAMassachusetts | $49,150 | $37,590 | $58,140 | 40 | $46,474 |
| 6 | MNMinnesota | $48,520 | $45,260 | $54,490 | 900 | $49,198 |
| 7 | NDNorth Dakota | $48,080 | $44,090 | $54,260 | 430 | $54,047 |
| 8 | SDSouth Dakota | $48,060 | $43,880 | $49,120 | 240 | $54,252 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $47,890 | $44,240 | $54,740 | 120 | $47,367 |
| 10 | IAIowa | $47,220 | $43,010 | $57,960 | 1,530 | $53,805 |
| 11 | OHOhio | $47,220 | $45,360 | $53,880 | 600 | $50,898 |
| 12 | PAPennsylvania | $47,100 | $37,320 | $56,220 | 390 | $48,272 |
| 13 | WIWisconsin | $47,100 | $40,800 | $53,110 | 830 | $50,056 |
| 14 | NENebraska | $46,670 | $41,000 | $57,760 | 1,090 | $51,796 |
| 15 | MEMaine | $46,490 | $46,490 | $46,490 | 60 | $47,903 |
| 16 | MOMissouri | $46,490 | $39,250 | $58,870 | 900 | $51,191 |
| 17 | INIndiana | $46,280 | $43,370 | $51,320 | 810 | $49,588 |
| 18 | ILIllinois | $46,050 | $39,310 | $48,600 | 1,910 | $46,069 |
| 19 | KSKansas | $45,570 | $39,670 | $48,380 | 670 | $50,595 |
| 20 | OROregon | $44,150 | $39,110 | $48,510 | 310 | $42,714 |
| 21 | MIMichigan | $42,380 | $35,210 | $46,680 | 460 | $44,046 |
| 22 | KYKentucky | $42,000 | $40,150 | $46,260 | 190 | $46,584 |
| 23 | NJNew Jersey | $41,660 | $38,480 | $47,640 | 70 | $38,289 |
| 24 | MDMaryland | $39,580 | $38,400 | $49,550 | 180 | $37,710 |
| 25 | NCNorth Carolina | $39,580 | $28,940 | $46,540 | 550 | $41,961 |
| 26 | IDIdaho | $38,920 | $37,370 | $42,780 | 490 | $40,756 |
| 27 | CACalifornia | $38,820 | $36,960 | $46,090 | 7,940 | $35,061 |
| 28 | WAWashington | $38,470 | $37,520 | $49,210 | 550 | $35,949 |
| 29 | TNTennessee | $37,750 | $27,420 | $42,970 | 390 | $41,091 |
| 30 | COColorado | $37,290 | $34,040 | $44,940 | N/A | $36,186 |
| 31 | FLFlorida | $36,660 | $34,490 | $42,120 | 790 | $35,450 |
| 32 | AZArizona | $36,600 | $33,620 | $37,400 | 730 | $36,354 |
| 33 | MSMississippi | $36,460 | $28,720 | $41,540 | 280 | $41,931 |
| 34 | NMNew Mexico | $35,580 | $35,580 | $37,730 | 130 | $38,585 |
| 35 | GAGeorgia | $35,410 | $32,850 | $41,000 | 570 | $36,773 |
| 36 | OKOklahoma | $34,900 | $26,880 | $54,960 | 170 | $39,730 |
| 37 | SCSouth Carolina | $34,490 | $31,680 | $37,990 | 380 | $36,790 |
| 38 | TXTexas | $34,260 | $29,850 | $37,470 | 2,200 | $35,299 |
| 39 | ALAlabama | $33,910 | $28,930 | $36,920 | 370 | $38,177 |
| 40 | ARArkansas | $32,060 | $29,320 | $42,250 | 350 | $36,877 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Agricultural Equipment Operators, that changes the ranking: Montana leads on raw pay at $58,770, while Louisiana leads once prices are taken into account at $66,344.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Agricultural Equipment Operator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Agricultural Equipment Operators the most?
Montana reports the highest median wage for Agricultural Equipment Operators at $58,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Louisiana ($58,520) and New York ($50,020).
Which state pays Agricultural Equipment Operators the least?
Arkansas reports the lowest median for Agricultural Equipment Operators at $32,060 a year, $26,710 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Agricultural Equipment Operators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Louisiana first at $66,344 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $58,520. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.