State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earn a median of $59,850 per year ($28.78/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.6% through 2034, with about 41,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 47-2073Construction and ExtractionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $59,850
- Projected growth
- +3.6%
- Openings a year
- 41,900
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Back Hoe Operator, Engineering Equipment Operator, Equipment Operator (EO), Forklift Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO), Hot Mix Asphalt Operator.
How much do Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators make?
10th percentile$42,190
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$48,680
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$59,850
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$77,170
Upper quartile
90th percentile$101,090
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $59,850 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $28.78/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $66,290 |
| People employed | 478,090 |
Versus all US occupations
At $59,850, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earn 17% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $8,870 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $57,430, this is 4% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $101,090 or more while the bottom 10% earn $42,190, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 42% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $115,860, and still leads at $105,374 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $115,860 | $105,374 | 2,380 |
| Illinois | $97,740 | $97,781 | 12,290 |
| New Jersey | $89,660 | $82,404 | 5,980 |
| California | $87,160 | $78,721 | 36,020 |
| Washington | $81,700 | $76,346 | 10,290 |
| New York | $80,980 | $75,036 | 14,490 |
| Indiana | $79,580 | $85,268 | 11,520 |
| Minnesota | $79,130 | $80,236 | 8,590 |
| Connecticut | $78,750 | $76,006 | 2,860 |
| Alaska | $77,810 | $76,017 | 3,050 |
Is Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator a growing career?
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators3.6%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators to change 3.6% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 17,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 41,900 openings are projected each year, 8.6% of the 489,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of construction equipment operators is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Spending on infrastructure is expected to increase, resulting in some new jobs for construction equipment operators over the decade. Across the country, many roads, bridges, and water and sewer systems are in need of repair. In addition, population growth will require new infrastructure, such as roads and sewer lines, the projects for which are expected to generate jobs.
How to become an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator
Workers may learn equipment operation on the job after earning a high school diploma or equivalent, through an apprenticeship, or by attending vocational schools.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as operating engineers and other construction equipment operators.
- High School Diploma81.7%
- Some College Courses16.3%
- Less than a High School Diploma1.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate0.6%
What does an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator do?
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used to construct roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures.
Day-to-day tasks
- Learn and follow safety regulations.
- Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain.
- Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.
- Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
- Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
- Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.
- Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.
- Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.9/5
- Speaking2.9/5
- Critical Thinking2.9/5
- Active Learning2.9/5
- Learning Strategies2.1/5
- Writing2.0/5
Transferable skills
- Operation and Control4.1/5
- Operations Monitoring3.3/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.3/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Repairing2.9/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Facilities management software
- Time accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.9
Artistic1.0
Social1.1
Enterprising1.3
Conventionalprimary3.9
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator: frequently asked questions
How much do Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators make?
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earn a median of $59,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 17% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $28.78/hr. The middle half earn between $48,680 and $77,170. The top 10% earn $101,090 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 81.7% hold high school diploma.
Is Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.6% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 41,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator do?
Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used to construct roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures. A core O*NET task: learn and follow safety regulations. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators the most?
The highest state medians for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators are Hawaii ($115,860), Illinois ($97,740), New Jersey ($89,660) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator?
O*NET scores Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.