TradeWages

Heavy Equipment Operator Salary in Cleveland, Ohio — 2026 Data

Heavy Equipment Operators in Cleveland, Ohio earn an average of $74,690 per year ($35.91 per hour). The median (50th percentile) wage is $71,740 per year. That is 13% above the national average of $66,290. Data updated August 2026.

Methodology: Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release data vintage (survey reference period May 2025), mapped from SOC occupation 47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators to the job title "Heavy Equipment Operator". Values are measured survey estimates for the Cleveland, OH metropolitan statistical area (MSA) — not modeled or interpolated. Year-over-year comparisons use the May 2024 OEWS release. The year shown in page titles is the publication and update year, not the data vintage.

Heavy Equipment Operator Pay in Cleveland at a Glance

Heavy Equipment Operator wages in Cleveland, OH (2026)
Average (mean) annual salary$74,690
Average (mean) hourly rate$35.91 per hour
Median (50th percentile) annual$71,740
Median hourly wage$34.49 per hour
Entry-level pay (10th percentile)$48,000
Senior-level pay (90th percentile)$99,760
National average$66,290
Employment (Cleveland, OH)2,660 workers
Data vintageBLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2073

Salary Percentiles for Heavy Equipment Operators in Cleveland

Annual and hourly wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wageHourly wage
10th percentile$48,000$23.08/hr
25th percentile$57,680$27.73/hr
50th percentile (median)$71,740$34.49/hr
75th percentile$94,910$45.63/hr
90th percentile$99,760$47.96/hr

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