Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary: $96,434 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 469,270 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators nationally earn a mean of $96,434. Employment in the series shown rose about 10% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.4% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about operating engineers and other construction equipment operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a operating engineers and other construction equipment operators?
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2073.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 469,270 workers.
What does a operating engineers and other construction equipment operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $58,710 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $96,434 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $56,339 |
| 25th percentile | $67,775 |
| Median (50th) | $91,740 |
| 75th percentile | $126,173 |
| 90th percentile | $135,056 |
What education do you need?
For Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 7.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 14.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 469,270.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do operating engineers and other construction equipment operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 469,270 | 19.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 386,400 | 15.6% |
| Construction | 295,700 | 12.0% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 138,350 | 5.6% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 135,520 | 5.5% |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 120,590 | 4.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
469,270 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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 55,290 employees, $52,250 avg wage
- CA: 36,040 employees, $93,680 avg wage
- FL: 29,420 employees, $60,570 avg wage
- PA: 20,680 employees, $62,350 avg wage
- OH: 16,510 employees, $68,480 avg wage
- NC: 15,890 employees, $51,320 avg wage
- GA: 15,720 employees, $47,210 avg wage
- NY: 14,700 employees, $93,440 avg wage
- AZ: 13,520 employees, $60,280 avg wage
- CO: 12,050 employees, $62,590 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 13,150 employees, $54,050 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 12,120 employees, $53,490 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 11,790 employees, $104,940 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 8,430 employees, $93,970 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 8,390 employees, $62,670 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 8,160 employees, $88,510 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 8,070 employees, $50,120 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 7,760 employees, $94,260 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 6,740 employees, $83,410 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 5,780 employees, $63,050 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 469,270 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 469,270 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.