Senior-Level Earnings for Heavy Equipment Operators — 2026
New York, New York ranks first with an average Heavy Equipment Operator salary of $100,710 per year ($48.42/hr). Full ranking of 100 cities below, 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 metropolitan 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.
Ranked Cities
| City | State | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Rate | Entry Level | Senior Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | New York | $100,710 | $48.42/hr | $56,680 | $154,040 |
| San Francisco | California | $110,300 | $53.03/hr | $60,910 | $149,260 |
| San Diego | California | $94,160 | $45.27/hr | $54,520 | $136,080 |
| Modesto | California | $95,910 | $46.11/hr | $52,020 | $131,850 |
| Sacramento | California | $95,640 | $45.98/hr | $57,910 | $131,260 |
| Los Angeles | California | $94,200 | $45.29/hr | $52,460 | $130,720 |
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii | $104,010 | $50.00/hr | $60,990 | $129,170 |
| Stockton | California | $87,990 | $42.31/hr | $49,490 | $128,960 |
| Seattle | Washington | $96,510 | $46.40/hr | $59,830 | $128,420 |
| Riverside | California | $86,910 | $41.79/hr | $48,640 | $127,840 |
| Fresno | California | $89,160 | $42.86/hr | $50,070 | $127,150 |
| Bakersfield | California | $86,130 | $41.41/hr | $52,600 | $126,170 |
| Worcester | Massachusetts | $83,980 | $40.38/hr | $49,440 | $126,110 |
| Boston | Massachusetts | $85,960 | $41.33/hr | $54,010 | $125,860 |
| Chicago | Illinois | $96,370 | $46.33/hr | $58,060 | $124,160 |
| Portland | Oregon | $85,450 | $41.08/hr | $59,520 | $123,290 |
| Las Vegas | Nevada | $74,530 | $35.83/hr | $48,820 | $121,480 |
| Syracuse | New York | $79,110 | $38.03/hr | $49,370 | $121,270 |
| Buffalo | New York | $77,990 | $37.50/hr | $49,170 | $114,540 |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | $75,200 | $36.16/hr | $48,780 | $113,310 |
| Rochester | New York | $74,720 | $35.92/hr | $46,800 | $112,740 |
| Bridgeport | Connecticut | $88,050 | $42.33/hr | $61,770 | $110,990 |
| Spokane | Washington | $77,290 | $37.16/hr | $52,110 | $107,640 |
| Anchorage | Alaska | $80,570 | $38.74/hr | $59,840 | $107,110 |
| Hartford | Connecticut | $83,150 | $39.98/hr | $59,450 | $106,490 |
| Providence | Rhode Island | $75,000 | $36.06/hr | $52,470 | $105,000 |
| Minneapolis | Minnesota | $84,200 | $40.48/hr | $60,100 | $104,250 |
| Madison | Wisconsin | $82,780 | $39.80/hr | $58,830 | $102,450 |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin | $82,100 | $39.47/hr | $61,390 | $100,860 |
| St Louis | Missouri | $77,930 | $37.47/hr | $47,210 | $100,810 |
| Cleveland | Ohio | $74,690 | $35.91/hr | $48,000 | $99,760 |
| Cincinnati | Ohio | $72,760 | $34.98/hr | $47,210 | $99,500 |
| Columbus | Ohio | $78,470 | $37.72/hr | $50,610 | $99,390 |
| Akron | Ohio | $70,690 | $33.99/hr | $46,700 | $98,500 |
| Dayton | Ohio | $70,020 | $33.67/hr | $47,270 | $97,770 |
| Toledo | Ohio | $72,190 | $34.71/hr | $45,950 | $97,580 |
| Indianapolis | Indiana | $77,660 | $37.34/hr | $49,650 | $97,130 |
| Kansas City | Missouri | $70,930 | $34.10/hr | $47,250 | $96,840 |
| Fort Wayne | Indiana | $73,600 | $35.39/hr | $46,500 | $95,730 |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | $68,670 | $33.01/hr | $47,480 | $94,570 |
| Lancaster | Pennsylvania | $63,550 | $30.55/hr | $46,120 | $94,390 |
| Detroit | Michigan | $69,390 | $33.36/hr | $48,300 | $93,920 |
| Allentown | Pennsylvania | $66,920 | $32.17/hr | $47,220 | $93,730 |
| Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | $62,450 | $30.03/hr | $46,780 | $90,500 |
| Louisville | Kentucky | $65,240 | $31.37/hr | $48,150 | $90,310 |
| Scranton | Pennsylvania | $64,270 | $30.90/hr | $46,780 | $90,120 |
| York | Pennsylvania | $65,700 | $31.59/hr | $46,920 | $89,900 |
| Grand Rapids | Michigan | $66,160 | $31.81/hr | $47,060 | $84,860 |
| Washington | District of Columbia | $64,850 | $31.18/hr | $46,580 | $84,180 |
| Des Moines | Iowa | $66,340 | $31.89/hr | $46,710 | $82,970 |
| Phoenix | Arizona | $63,350 | $30.46/hr | $48,660 | $81,220 |
| Denver | Colorado | $67,120 | $32.27/hr | $52,470 | $79,900 |
| Boise | Idaho | $62,790 | $30.19/hr | $49,510 | $78,660 |
| Knoxville | Tennessee | $53,450 | $25.70/hr | $41,790 | $78,520 |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | $62,890 | $30.24/hr | $48,960 | $78,420 |
| Omaha | Nebraska | $61,090 | $29.37/hr | $46,870 | $77,920 |
| Baltimore | Maryland | $61,060 | $29.36/hr | $47,370 | $77,770 |
| Colorado Springs | Colorado | $62,850 | $30.22/hr | $49,390 | $77,740 |
| Chattanooga | Tennessee | $54,870 | $26.38/hr | $40,370 | $77,320 |
| Baton Rouge | Louisiana | $58,870 | $28.30/hr | $40,990 | $76,720 |
| New Orleans | Louisiana | $58,280 | $28.02/hr | $39,330 | $75,400 |
| Tucson | Arizona | $58,030 | $27.90/hr | $45,160 | $75,250 |
| Ogden | Utah | $60,000 | $28.85/hr | $48,070 | $74,760 |
| Richmond | Virginia | $56,620 | $27.22/hr | $40,650 | $74,400 |
| Birmingham | Alabama | $56,100 | $26.97/hr | $39,760 | $74,320 |
| Wichita | Kansas | $53,950 | $25.94/hr | $40,050 | $74,020 |
| Nashville | Tennessee | $57,270 | $27.54/hr | $46,630 | $73,900 |
| Provo | Utah | $59,970 | $28.83/hr | $47,500 | $73,860 |
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | $55,080 | $26.48/hr | $39,500 | $73,700 |
| Tampa | Florida | $54,410 | $26.16/hr | $40,390 | $73,320 |
| Memphis | Tennessee | $55,080 | $26.48/hr | $40,560 | $72,790 |
| Charleston | South Carolina | $54,890 | $26.39/hr | $40,540 | $72,090 |
| Houston | Texas | $55,410 | $26.64/hr | $39,170 | $71,960 |
| Austin | Texas | $54,790 | $26.34/hr | $40,420 | $71,390 |
| Durham | North Carolina | $55,020 | $26.45/hr | $39,690 | $71,240 |
| Miami | Florida | $54,900 | $26.39/hr | $40,200 | $71,200 |
| Dallas | Texas | $55,140 | $26.51/hr | $41,700 | $71,080 |
| Charlotte | North Carolina | $55,090 | $26.48/hr | $41,970 | $70,400 |
| San Antonio | Texas | $52,990 | $25.47/hr | $39,840 | $70,040 |
| Victoria | Texas | $52,670 | $25.32/hr | $36,610 | $69,420 |
| Albuquerque | New Mexico | $54,370 | $26.14/hr | $40,600 | $67,530 |
| Augusta | Georgia | $51,440 | $24.73/hr | $38,710 | $67,040 |
| Raleigh | North Carolina | $54,460 | $26.18/hr | $40,540 | $65,970 |
| Lakeland | Florida | $51,240 | $24.64/hr | $37,440 | $65,840 |
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | $51,460 | $24.74/hr | $37,440 | $65,100 |
| Atlanta | Georgia | $52,100 | $25.05/hr | $39,610 | $64,680 |
| Jacksonville | Florida | $52,870 | $25.42/hr | $39,290 | $64,660 |
| Palm Bay | Florida | $51,670 | $24.84/hr | $39,550 | $63,940 |
| Orlando | Florida | $52,630 | $25.30/hr | $39,280 | $63,800 |
| Greenville | South Carolina | $51,530 | $24.77/hr | $38,790 | $63,560 |
| Cape Coral | Florida | $52,990 | $25.48/hr | $39,520 | $63,300 |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | $50,900 | $24.47/hr | $38,820 | $63,160 |
| Mobile | Alabama | $50,510 | $24.28/hr | $38,400 | $62,980 |
| Greensboro | North Carolina | $51,270 | $24.65/hr | $39,050 | $62,800 |
| Columbia | South Carolina | $50,580 | $24.32/hr | $38,150 | $62,230 |
| El Paso | Texas | $47,610 | $22.89/hr | $34,840 | $61,530 |
| Pensacola | Florida | $48,920 | $23.52/hr | $38,510 | $60,880 |
| Jackson | Mississippi | $48,170 | $23.16/hr | $36,760 | $60,860 |
| Little Rock | Arkansas | $47,100 | $22.64/hr | $37,800 | $58,770 |
| McAllen | Texas | $42,720 | $20.54/hr | $31,420 | $56,720 |