Heavy Equipment Operator Salary by City — 2026 Data
Heavy Equipment Operators earn an average of $67,291 per year across 100 US cities. The highest paying city is San Francisco, CA at $110,300 per year. 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.
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Heavy Equipment Operator Salaries in Every City
| City | State | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Rate | Entry Level | Senior Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | California | $110,300 | $53.03/hr | $60,910 | $149,260 |
| Urban Honolulu | Hawaii | $104,010 | $50.00/hr | $60,990 | $129,170 |
| New York | New York | $100,710 | $48.42/hr | $56,680 | $154,040 |
| Seattle | Washington | $96,510 | $46.40/hr | $59,830 | $128,420 |
| Chicago | Illinois | $96,370 | $46.33/hr | $58,060 | $124,160 |
| 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 |
| San Diego | California | $94,160 | $45.27/hr | $54,520 | $136,080 |
| Fresno | California | $89,160 | $42.86/hr | $50,070 | $127,150 |
| Bridgeport | Connecticut | $88,050 | $42.33/hr | $61,770 | $110,990 |
| Stockton | California | $87,990 | $42.31/hr | $49,490 | $128,960 |
| Riverside | California | $86,910 | $41.79/hr | $48,640 | $127,840 |
| Bakersfield | California | $86,130 | $41.41/hr | $52,600 | $126,170 |
| Boston | Massachusetts | $85,960 | $41.33/hr | $54,010 | $125,860 |
| Portland | Oregon | $85,450 | $41.08/hr | $59,520 | $123,290 |
| Minneapolis | Minnesota | $84,200 | $40.48/hr | $60,100 | $104,250 |
| Worcester | Massachusetts | $83,980 | $40.38/hr | $49,440 | $126,110 |
| Hartford | Connecticut | $83,150 | $39.98/hr | $59,450 | $106,490 |
| Madison | Wisconsin | $82,780 | $39.80/hr | $58,830 | $102,450 |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin | $82,100 | $39.47/hr | $61,390 | $100,860 |
| Anchorage | Alaska | $80,570 | $38.74/hr | $59,840 | $107,110 |
| Syracuse | New York | $79,110 | $38.03/hr | $49,370 | $121,270 |
| Columbus | Ohio | $78,470 | $37.72/hr | $50,610 | $99,390 |
| Buffalo | New York | $77,990 | $37.50/hr | $49,170 | $114,540 |
| St Louis | Missouri | $77,930 | $37.47/hr | $47,210 | $100,810 |
| Indianapolis | Indiana | $77,660 | $37.34/hr | $49,650 | $97,130 |
| Spokane | Washington | $77,290 | $37.16/hr | $52,110 | $107,640 |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | $75,200 | $36.16/hr | $48,780 | $113,310 |
| Providence | Rhode Island | $75,000 | $36.06/hr | $52,470 | $105,000 |
| Rochester | New York | $74,720 | $35.92/hr | $46,800 | $112,740 |
| Cleveland | Ohio | $74,690 | $35.91/hr | $48,000 | $99,760 |
| Las Vegas | Nevada | $74,530 | $35.83/hr | $48,820 | $121,480 |
| Fort Wayne | Indiana | $73,600 | $35.39/hr | $46,500 | $95,730 |
| Cincinnati | Ohio | $72,760 | $34.98/hr | $47,210 | $99,500 |
| Toledo | Ohio | $72,190 | $34.71/hr | $45,950 | $97,580 |
| Kansas City | Missouri | $70,930 | $34.10/hr | $47,250 | $96,840 |
| Akron | Ohio | $70,690 | $33.99/hr | $46,700 | $98,500 |
| Dayton | Ohio | $70,020 | $33.67/hr | $47,270 | $97,770 |
| Detroit | Michigan | $69,390 | $33.36/hr | $48,300 | $93,920 |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | $68,670 | $33.01/hr | $47,480 | $94,570 |
| Denver | Colorado | $67,120 | $32.27/hr | $52,470 | $79,900 |
| Allentown | Pennsylvania | $66,920 | $32.17/hr | $47,220 | $93,730 |
| Des Moines | Iowa | $66,340 | $31.89/hr | $46,710 | $82,970 |
| Grand Rapids | Michigan | $66,160 | $31.81/hr | $47,060 | $84,860 |
| York | Pennsylvania | $65,700 | $31.59/hr | $46,920 | $89,900 |
| Louisville | Kentucky | $65,240 | $31.37/hr | $48,150 | $90,310 |
| Washington | District of Columbia | $64,850 | $31.18/hr | $46,580 | $84,180 |
| Scranton | Pennsylvania | $64,270 | $30.90/hr | $46,780 | $90,120 |
| Lancaster | Pennsylvania | $63,550 | $30.55/hr | $46,120 | $94,390 |
| Phoenix | Arizona | $63,350 | $30.46/hr | $48,660 | $81,220 |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | $62,890 | $30.24/hr | $48,960 | $78,420 |
| Colorado Springs | Colorado | $62,850 | $30.22/hr | $49,390 | $77,740 |
| Boise | Idaho | $62,790 | $30.19/hr | $49,510 | $78,660 |
| Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | $62,450 | $30.03/hr | $46,780 | $90,500 |
| Omaha | Nebraska | $61,090 | $29.37/hr | $46,870 | $77,920 |
| Baltimore | Maryland | $61,060 | $29.36/hr | $47,370 | $77,770 |
| Ogden | Utah | $60,000 | $28.85/hr | $48,070 | $74,760 |
| Provo | Utah | $59,970 | $28.83/hr | $47,500 | $73,860 |
| 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 |
| Nashville | Tennessee | $57,270 | $27.54/hr | $46,630 | $73,900 |
| Richmond | Virginia | $56,620 | $27.22/hr | $40,650 | $74,400 |
| Birmingham | Alabama | $56,100 | $26.97/hr | $39,760 | $74,320 |
| Houston | Texas | $55,410 | $26.64/hr | $39,170 | $71,960 |
| Dallas | Texas | $55,140 | $26.51/hr | $41,700 | $71,080 |
| Charlotte | North Carolina | $55,090 | $26.48/hr | $41,970 | $70,400 |
| Memphis | Tennessee | $55,080 | $26.48/hr | $40,560 | $72,790 |
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | $55,080 | $26.48/hr | $39,500 | $73,700 |
| Durham | North Carolina | $55,020 | $26.45/hr | $39,690 | $71,240 |
| Miami | Florida | $54,900 | $26.39/hr | $40,200 | $71,200 |
| Charleston | South Carolina | $54,890 | $26.39/hr | $40,540 | $72,090 |
| Chattanooga | Tennessee | $54,870 | $26.38/hr | $40,370 | $77,320 |
| Austin | Texas | $54,790 | $26.34/hr | $40,420 | $71,390 |
| Raleigh | North Carolina | $54,460 | $26.18/hr | $40,540 | $65,970 |
| Tampa | Florida | $54,410 | $26.16/hr | $40,390 | $73,320 |
| Albuquerque | New Mexico | $54,370 | $26.14/hr | $40,600 | $67,530 |
| Wichita | Kansas | $53,950 | $25.94/hr | $40,050 | $74,020 |
| Knoxville | Tennessee | $53,450 | $25.70/hr | $41,790 | $78,520 |
| Cape Coral | Florida | $52,990 | $25.48/hr | $39,520 | $63,300 |
| San Antonio | Texas | $52,990 | $25.47/hr | $39,840 | $70,040 |
| Jacksonville | Florida | $52,870 | $25.42/hr | $39,290 | $64,660 |
| Victoria | Texas | $52,670 | $25.32/hr | $36,610 | $69,420 |
| Orlando | Florida | $52,630 | $25.30/hr | $39,280 | $63,800 |
| Atlanta | Georgia | $52,100 | $25.05/hr | $39,610 | $64,680 |
| Palm Bay | Florida | $51,670 | $24.84/hr | $39,550 | $63,940 |
| Greenville | South Carolina | $51,530 | $24.77/hr | $38,790 | $63,560 |
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | $51,460 | $24.74/hr | $37,440 | $65,100 |
| Augusta | Georgia | $51,440 | $24.73/hr | $38,710 | $67,040 |
| Greensboro | North Carolina | $51,270 | $24.65/hr | $39,050 | $62,800 |
| Lakeland | Florida | $51,240 | $24.64/hr | $37,440 | $65,840 |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | $50,900 | $24.47/hr | $38,820 | $63,160 |
| Columbia | South Carolina | $50,580 | $24.32/hr | $38,150 | $62,230 |
| Mobile | Alabama | $50,510 | $24.28/hr | $38,400 | $62,980 |
| Pensacola | Florida | $48,920 | $23.52/hr | $38,510 | $60,880 |
| Jackson | Mississippi | $48,170 | $23.16/hr | $36,760 | $60,860 |
| El Paso | Texas | $47,610 | $22.89/hr | $34,840 | $61,530 |
| Little Rock | Arkansas | $47,100 | $22.64/hr | $37,800 | $58,770 |
| McAllen | Texas | $42,720 | $20.54/hr | $31,420 | $56,720 |