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Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Other names for this job might include Angle Dozer Operator, Back Hoe Operator, Backhoe Operator, Blade Grader Operator, Blade Operator, Bulldozer Engineer, Bulldozer Operator, Bulldozer/Loader/Compactor/Scraper, Bush Hog Operator, Cable Engineer
- $50560Salary
- 65%Job satisfaction
- EasyBecoming one
- HighJob growth
C+
How Much Do Construction Machine Operators Make In 2018
Table of Contents
In this salary guide, you will find out how much do Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators make.
After reading this, you will be able to make a decision if working as an Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator will suit your financial goals (e.g: buying a home, BMW or just your target salary goal).
Average salary
One of the most popular questions we get from our readers here at OwlGuru is how much do Construction Machine Operators make per year and what is their hourly wage.
According to BLS, the average annual salary of Construction Machine Operators is $50560. Their salary can also be as low as $29730 if you’re still a newbie with no experience to over $80200 if you have a ton of experience under your belt.
The typical hourly pay is $24.310 and can range from $14.290 to $38.560 which also depends if you’re a newbie or a professional.
Just like any other job, the salary of A Construction Machine Operator will vary based on your education and experience level.
We wanted to make it easy for our readers to compare the salary of A Construction Machine Operator to all the other careers out there. So we created Salary Rank.
This compares the salary of all careers and we give them a rank of A, B, C or D depending on how high or low is their average salary.
After comparing how much do Construction Machine Operators make with other careers, they have a salary rank of C.
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Salary range
| Level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $38.560 | $80200 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $29.560 | $61480 |
| Middle (Mid 50%) | $22.060 | $45890 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $17.190 | $35760 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $14.290 | $29730 |
Entry-level Construction Machine Operators who starts out at $35760 can expect to make $45890 after 3-5 years of experience in the field.
The bottom 10% makes less than $14.290 per hour while the top 10% makes over $38.560 per hour.
While the median wage is $45890 per annum or $22.060 per hour.
Depending on who you work for, you might also get overtime pay.
Highest paying industries
| Industry name | Hourly wage | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals) | 31.46 | 65440 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors | 29.43 | 61210 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 29.03 | 60380 |
| Roofing Contractors | 28.72 | 59730 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 28.56 | 59410 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | 28.43 | 59140 |
| Natural Gas Distribution | 28.03 | 58300 |
| Utilities | 27.82 | 57870 |
| Repair and Maintenance | 27.77 | 57770 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 27.77 | 57770 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately owned | 27.64 | 57480 |
| Rail Transportation | 27.39 | 56970 |
| Facilities Support Services | 27.19 | 56560 |
| Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | 27.02 | 56190 |
| Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government) | 26.53 | 55180 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 26.44 | 55000 |
| Hospitals, Privately owned | 26.37 | 54860 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 26.36 | 54820 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | 26.36 | 54820 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 26.31 | 54730 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 26.08 | 54250 |
| Federal government, including the US Postal Service | 26.08 | 54250 |
| Other Building Equipment Contractors | 25.71 | 53470 |
| Lessors of Real Estate | 25.67 | 53390 |
| Waste Collection | 25.59 | 53220 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 25.56 | 53160 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 25.46 | 52950 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 24.87 | 51720 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 24.83 | 51640 |
| Construction of Buildings | 24.82 | 51630 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 24.82 | 51620 |
| Residential Building Construction | 24.67 | 51310 |
| Masonry Contractors | 24.51 | 50990 |
| Basic Chemical Manufacturing | 24.43 | 50820 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 24.42 | 50800 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 24.38 | 50700 |
| Utility System Construction | 24.36 | 50680 |
| Pipeline Transportation | 24.33 | 50600 |
| Coal Mining | 24.21 | 50370 |
| Construction | 24.16 | 50260 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas | 24.16 | 50260 |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | 24.09 | 50100 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | 23.95 | 49820 |
| Real Estate | 23.85 | 49600 |
| All industries, private ownership only | 23.78 | 49470 |
| Engineering Services | 23.65 | 49190 |
| Office Administrative Services | 23.59 | 49080 |
| Support Activities for Rail Transportation | 23.55 | 48990 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 23.41 | 48690 |
| Support Activities for Road Transportation | 23.36 | 48590 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 23.32 | 48500 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 23.29 | 48440 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 23.26 | 48380 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 23.12 | 48080 |
| All industries | 23.09 | 48020 |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 23.08 | 48010 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 22.95 | 47750 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22.85 | 47530 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | 22.85 | 47520 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | 22.78 | 47380 |
| Death Care Services | 22.78 | 47380 |
| Sector 56- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 22.77 | 47370 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 22.73 | 47290 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 22.73 | 47280 |
| Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing | 22.59 | 47000 |
| Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing | 22.59 | 47000 |
| Land Subdivision | 22.55 | 46910 |
| Manufacturing | 22.56 | 46910 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | 22.48 | 46750 |
| Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers | 22.44 | 46680 |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | 22.42 | 46640 |
| Mining | 22.3 | 46390 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 22.18 | 46140 |
| Waste Treatment and Disposal | 22.03 | 45820 |
| Metal Ore Mining | 21.99 | 45730 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems | 21.93 | 45610 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 21.91 | 45560 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 21.73 | 45190 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 21.68 | 45090 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation | 21.65 | 45030 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 21.47 | 44670 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing | 21.27 | 44230 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 21.26 | 44210 |
| Landscaping Services | 21.26 | 44210 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | 21.13 | 43950 |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | 21.06 | 43800 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 20.97 | 43610 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 20.95 | 43570 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | 20.77 | 43200 |
| Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 20.75 | 43150 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 20.73 | 43110 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20.71 | 43080 |
| Forestry and Logging | 20.52 | 42680 |
| Logging | 20.52 | 42680 |
| Ship and Boat Building | 20.5 | 42630 |
| Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 20.29 | 42190 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals | 20.28 | 42180 |
| Local government, including schools and hospitals | 20.28 | 42180 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 20.24 | 42100 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government | 20.14 | 41890 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding state and local schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | 20.14 | 41890 |
| Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospitals, and the US Postal Service | 20.12 | 41850 |
| Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing | 20.02 | 41630 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | 19.99 | 41570 |
| General Freight Trucking | 19.78 | 41140 |
| Administrative and Support Services | 19.76 | 41090 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 19.46 | 40470 |
| Wholesale Trade | 19.44 | 40430 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 19.34 | 40230 |
| Accommodation | 19.29 | 40120 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | 19.24 | 40010 |
| Truck Transportation | 19.17 | 39870 |
| Specialized Freight Trucking | 19.12 | 39770 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 19.08 | 39680 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers | 19.07 | 39670 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 19.07 | 39660 |
| Information | 19.02 | 39560 |
| Telecommunications | 19.02 | 39560 |
| Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing | 18.94 | 39390 |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | 18.87 | 39260 |
| Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 18.66 | 38820 |
| Other Support Services | 18.66 | 38810 |
| Educational Support Services (including private, state, and local government schools) | 18.65 | 38800 |
| Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 18.62 | 38740 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools, State government owned | 18.54 | 38570 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (including private, state, and local government schools) | 18.53 | 38550 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools, Privately owned | 18.51 | 38490 |
| Educational Services, Privately owned | 18.5 | 38480 |
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 18.47 | 38420 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals | 18.41 | 38290 |
| Educational Services, State government owned | 18.41 | 38280 |
| State government, including schools and hospitals | 18.41 | 38280 |
| Educational Services (including private, state, and local government schools) | 18.38 | 38220 |
| Educational Services, Local government owned | 18.26 | 37980 |
| Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers | 18.22 | 37890 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local government owned | 18.14 | 37730 |
| Employment Services | 18.14 | 37720 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools (including private, state, and local government schools) | 17.83 | 37080 |
| Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing | 17.66 | 36720 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | 16.43 | 34170 |
Not all industries pay the same for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.
One of the easiest way to increase your salary is to change industries and find a higher paying one.
Highest paying states
| State | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| NY | $34.91 | $72610 |
| IL | $34.4 | $71540 |
| HI | $34.1 | $70920 |
| AK | $32.34 | $67260 |
| NJ | $32.09 | $66740 |
| CA | $31.7 | $65930 |
| MA | $31.43 | $65370 |
| CT | $30.49 | $63410 |
| WA | $28.28 | $58830 |
| NV | $27.88 | $57990 |
Another simple way to boost your pay as A Construction Machine Operator is to move to a higher paying state. However moving to a higher paying state like NY doesn’t mean you will make more overall. This is because the expenses at NY may be 2x higher than where you are currently living at right now.
According to the BLS, the highest paid / most successful Construction Machine Operators are in the states of NY, IL, HI, AK and NJ. The average salary in NY is $72610.
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Related to Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary, how much do Construction Machine Operators earn, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators hourly wage, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators annual pay, highest paying industries for Construction Machine Operators, which states pay the highest for Construction Machine Operators
Additional resources
http://www.bls.gov/OOH/construction-and-extraction/construction-equipment-operators.htm
http://www.agc.org/
http://www.iuoe.org/
http://www.nccer.org/
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