Pay by state · 54 areas
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator Salary by State (2026)
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earn the most in Hawaii at $115,860 a year and the least in Arkansas at $44,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $59,850. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $115,860Hawaii
- National median
- $59,850BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $44,520Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Hawaii$115,860
- 2Illinois$97,740
- 3New Jersey$89,660
- 4California$87,160
- 5Washington$81,700
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$44,520
- 2Mississippi$47,410
- 3Alabama$47,520
- 4Georgia$47,880
- 5Oklahoma$47,970
All states
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $115,860 | $73,200 | $121,780 | 2,380 | $105,374 |
| 2 | ILIllinois | $97,740 | $69,230 | $109,320 | 12,290 | $97,781 |
| 3 | NJNew Jersey | $89,660 | $64,100 | $126,330 | 5,980 | $82,404 |
| 4 | CACalifornia | $87,160 | $65,230 | $125,560 | 36,020 | $78,721 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $81,700 | $64,390 | $114,640 | 10,290 | $76,346 |
| 6 | NYNew York | $80,980 | $60,540 | $112,920 | 14,490 | $75,036 |
| 7 | INIndiana | $79,580 | $58,240 | $93,300 | 11,520 | $85,268 |
| 8 | MNMinnesota | $79,130 | $63,310 | $95,740 | 8,590 | $80,236 |
| 9 | CTConnecticut | $78,750 | $64,720 | $101,610 | 2,860 | $76,006 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $77,810 | $66,830 | $99,890 | 3,050 | $76,017 |
| 11 | MAMassachusetts | $76,820 | $62,370 | $107,550 | 9,680 | $72,638 |
| 12 | WIWisconsin | $75,280 | $61,520 | $94,610 | 8,140 | $80,004 |
| 13 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $74,610 | $65,450 | $86,280 | 620 | $67,888 |
| 14 | OROregon | $73,430 | $61,200 | $97,840 | 5,630 | $71,042 |
| 15 | NVNevada | $71,410 | $60,710 | $90,030 | 5,410 | $71,425 |
| 16 | OHOhio | $64,940 | $54,430 | $92,930 | 16,920 | $69,998 |
| 17 | RIRhode Island | $63,610 | $61,660 | $83,820 | 970 | $62,192 |
| 18 | WYWyoming | $62,960 | $54,370 | $84,950 | 3,800 | $67,925 |
| 19 | MIMichigan | $62,690 | $54,710 | $78,410 | 9,500 | $65,155 |
| 20 | COColorado | $62,620 | $57,700 | $73,670 | 11,700 | $60,765 |
| 21 | NHNew Hampshire | $62,200 | $57,310 | $73,860 | 1,330 | $59,713 |
| 22 | NDNorth Dakota | $62,150 | $58,180 | $76,430 | 4,890 | $69,864 |
| 23 | IDIdaho | $61,680 | $52,590 | $75,390 | 4,270 | $64,590 |
| 24 | MTMontana | $61,580 | $56,310 | $72,130 | 3,750 | $65,064 |
| 25 | MDMaryland | $61,410 | $49,430 | $70,860 | 6,610 | $58,509 |
| 26 | UTUtah | $60,740 | $51,800 | $65,430 | 7,880 | $61,438 |
| 27 | AZArizona | $60,620 | $51,200 | $65,370 | 13,200 | $60,212 |
| 28 | MOMissouri | $60,540 | $48,290 | $84,400 | 10,470 | $66,662 |
| 29 | PAPennsylvania | $60,530 | $50,790 | $77,780 | 22,120 | $62,036 |
| 30 | IAIowa | $60,330 | $53,610 | $72,660 | 5,530 | $68,743 |
| 31 | SDSouth Dakota | $59,500 | $50,690 | $63,460 | 2,050 | $67,166 |
| 32 | VTVermont | $58,870 | $52,760 | $63,680 | 1,280 | $60,097 |
| 33 | NENebraska | $58,360 | $47,940 | $63,480 | 3,180 | $64,770 |
| 34 | DEDelaware | $58,020 | $46,500 | $66,140 | 1,230 | $58,132 |
| 35 | KYKentucky | $57,780 | $49,040 | $65,720 | 7,050 | $64,087 |
| 36 | VAVirginia | $57,160 | $48,040 | $63,330 | 12,100 | $56,536 |
| 37 | MEMaine | $56,140 | $48,920 | $61,480 | 2,210 | $57,846 |
| 38 | NMNew Mexico | $52,000 | $47,470 | $60,090 | 5,520 | $56,392 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $52,000 | $46,490 | $59,360 | 10,660 | $56,602 |
| 40 | LALouisiana | $51,700 | $46,440 | $62,230 | 7,860 | $58,612 |
| 41 | KSKansas | $51,620 | $44,720 | $62,030 | 7,070 | $57,312 |
| 42 | WVWest Virginia | $51,300 | $42,630 | $61,690 | 7,830 | $57,320 |
| 43 | TXTexas | $50,460 | $46,120 | $59,990 | 55,540 | $51,990 |
| 44 | FLFlorida | $49,400 | $46,330 | $58,360 | 27,510 | $47,769 |
| 45 | NCNorth Carolina | $49,310 | $45,700 | $57,870 | 16,580 | $52,276 |
| 46 | SCSouth Carolina | $48,940 | $44,960 | $57,780 | 8,160 | $52,203 |
| 47 | OKOklahoma | $47,970 | $41,920 | $56,700 | 7,050 | $54,609 |
| 48 | GAGeorgia | $47,880 | $41,670 | $56,940 | 15,700 | $49,723 |
| 49 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $47,650 | $37,430 | $62,390 | 120 | N/A |
| 50 | ALAlabama | $47,520 | $39,780 | $57,540 | 9,640 | $53,500 |
| 51 | MSMississippi | $47,410 | $39,530 | $57,200 | 4,170 | $54,524 |
| 52 | ARArkansas | $44,520 | $38,350 | $49,860 | 5,800 | $51,209 |
| 53 | GUGuam | $39,170 | $38,690 | $45,370 | 650 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $29,810 | $26,970 | $36,620 | 2,400 | N/A |
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 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, the adjustment does not change the leader: Hawaii is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $105,374.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays operating engineers and other construction equipment operators the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at $115,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Illinois ($97,740) and New Jersey ($89,660).
Which state pays operating engineers and other construction equipment operators the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Arkansas reports the lowest median for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at $44,520 a year, $71,340 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $47,650, Guam reports $39,170 and Puerto Rico reports $29,810.
In which states do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn over $100,000?
One of the 50 states and DC has a median of $100,000 or more: Hawaii ($115,860) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators after cost of living?
Yes. Hawaii stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $105,374 in national-average dollars from a raw $115,860. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.