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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties. Excludes “Extraction Workers” (47-5000) and “Crane and Tower Operators” (53-7021).

National estimates for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Industry profile for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Geographic profile for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

National estimates for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
404,820 0.7 % $ 27.06 $ 56,280 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.38 $ 18.54 $ 23.25 $ 30.14 $ 41.13
Annual Wage (2) $ 36,150 $ 38,570 $ 48,360 $ 62,690 $ 85,560

Industry profile for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 101,200 14.17 $ 27.01 $ 56,180
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 59,110 1.10 $ 22.68 $ 47,180
Utility System Construction 53,250 9.87 $ 29.64 $ 61,660
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 49,860 14.03 $ 31.80 $ 66,140
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 16,550 0.75 $ 21.70 $ 45,140

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 101,200 14.17 $ 27.01 $ 56,180
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 49,860 14.03 $ 31.80 $ 66,140
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 15,330 12.74 $ 29.54 $ 61,440
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 10,340 10.82 $ 23.10 $ 48,050
Utility System Construction 53,250 9.87 $ 29.64 $ 61,660

Top paying industries for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 1,100 1.01 $ 40.04 $ 83,280
Scientific Research and Development Services 70 0.01 $ 38.58 $ 80,240
Building Finishing Contractors 340 0.04 $ 35.14 $ 73,090
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,950 0.52 $ 35.08 $ 72,970
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 250 0.83 $ 33.53 $ 69,740

Geographic profile for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 39,020 3.19 1.11 $ 21.84 $ 45,430
California 28,600 1.73 0.60 $ 37.65 $ 78,320
Pennsylvania 22,130 3.96 1.38 $ 26.42 $ 54,950
Florida 20,570 2.39 0.83 $ 21.27 $ 44,250
New York 14,290 1.65 0.57 $ 39.35 $ 81,840


Map of location quotient of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 3,790 14.55 5.06 $ 29.95 $ 62,300
West Virginia 6,570 9.99 3.48 $ 24.04 $ 50,000
North Dakota 3,410 8.63 3.00 $ 28.80 $ 59,890
Alaska 2,520 8.52 2.97 $ 32.83 $ 68,290
Montana 3,570 7.60 2.65 $ 26.12 $ 54,320


Map of annual mean wages of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 4,580 1.19 0.41 $ 40.02 $ 83,230
New York 14,290 1.65 0.57 $ 39.35 $ 81,840
Hawaii 1,960 3.58 1.25 $ 37.68 $ 78,360
California 28,600 1.73 0.60 $ 37.65 $ 78,320
Illinois 11,530 2.05 0.71 $ 37.14 $ 77,250



Map of employment of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 10,990 1.27 0.44 $ 44.16 $ 91,860
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 9,490 3.28 1.14 $ 23.12 $ 48,090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,580 1.79 0.62 $ 38.93 $ 80,980
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,530 2.10 0.73 $ 22.48 $ 46,760
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,600 1.15 0.40 $ 37.91 $ 78,850
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 6,390 3.02 1.05 $ 25.78 $ 53,620
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6,030 2.33 0.81 $ 21.60 $ 44,930
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,890 2.01 0.70 $ 26.79 $ 55,710
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,190 1.95 0.68 $ 30.74 $ 63,940
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 5,170 3.53 1.23 $ 26.23 $ 54,550


Map of location quotient of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fairbanks, AK 410 11.90 4.14 $ 32.24 $ 67,060
Midland, TX 1,020 10.76 3.74 $ 24.33 $ 50,610
Greeley, CO 1,060 10.39 3.62 $ 24.61 $ 51,190
Lake Charles, LA 870 9.59 3.34 $ 22.60 $ 47,000
Farmington, NM 390 9.50 3.31 $ 25.77 $ 53,600
The Villages, FL 300 8.92 3.10 $ 20.39 $ 42,400
Wheeling, WV-OH 460 8.09 2.81 $ 27.25 $ 56,670
Beckley, WV 310 7.71 2.68 $ 23.57 $ 49,020
Prescott, AZ 490 7.52 2.62 $ 22.92 $ 47,670
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 260 7.47 2.60 $ 21.30 $ 44,300