Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earn an average annual salary of $96,434, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 10.2% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
36,040 Workforce in 2023
The Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$96,434 Average Wage
In 2023, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earned an average of $96,434.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Salary distribution for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
153,063 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 7.1%
163,996 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.8%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
7.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 32,070 employees, $97,554 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,220 employees, $94,352 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 4,750 employees, $90,865 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 3,210 employees, $100,608 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 3,160 employees, $114,388 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 2,940 employees, $95,960 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,810 employees, $93,860 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,350 employees, $115,344 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 1,320 employees, $92,985 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,190 employees, $112,440 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 1,010 employees, $87,241 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in 2023 was 36,040 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Skills
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Troubleshooting.
Required skills for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators include Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators include Control Precision, Depth Perception, Near Vision, Multilimb Coordination, Far Vision.
Required abilities for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Daily Activities
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
About
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
The average yearly wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators was $96,434 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2073 - Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators reports an average salary of $96,434.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 36,040 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.