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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salarymedian $59,850 · percentiles · top pay · projected pay in 10 years

United States Construction Confidence ★★★★★

Median annual pay
$59,850
25th–75th pct. $48,680–$77,170
Top pay (est.)
$131,400
Top 10% $101,090
Pay in 5 years
$70,400est.
2031
Pay in 10 years
$82,700est.
$71,200–$96,100
Outlook score
58/100
★★★☆☆ Average
AI replacement risk
15%
Very low
Job growth (10 yr)
+4.6%
39K openings / yr

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary

The median annual wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is $59,850 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $42,190 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $101,090. The mean annual wage is $66,290.

Median
$59,850
Mean
$66,290
10th percentile
$42,190
Entry level
25th percentile
$48,680
75th percentile
$77,170
90th percentile
$101,090
Top earners
Mean hourly wage
$31.00
4.3× the federal minimum ($7.25)
In Japanese yen
¥9.41M
≈ at 157.25 JPY/USD

The mean hourly wage of $31.00 is 4.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

How does your pay compare with people your age?

Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).

Pay by percentile

Entry level (10th pct.)
$42,190
Early career (25th pct.)
$48,680
Mid career (median)
$59,850
Experienced (75th pct.)
$77,170
Top earners (90th pct.)
$101,090

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $59,850 → in 3 years $66,000 → in 5 years $70,400 → in 10 years $82,700 (10-year range $71,200–$96,100). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.

$59,850
Now
2026
$66,000
In 3 yrs
2029
$60,900–$71,800
$70,400
In 5 yrs
2031
$63,400–$78,400
$82,700
In 10 yrs
2036
$71,200–$96,100

What drives the annual growth rate

Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand +0.03%AI impact +0.26%Total +3.3% / yr

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.