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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
423,040 0.7 % $ 28.57 $ 59,420 0.4 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.67 $ 21.07 $ 24.73 $ 32.85 $ 44.74
Annual Wage (2) $ 36,750 $ 43,820 $ 51,430 $ 68,330 $ 93,060


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 107,310 14.17 $ 28.37 $ 59,010
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 60,550 1.13 $ 25.70 $ 53,460
Utility System Construction 53,830 9.63 $ 31.11 $ 64,710
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 50,960 14.17 $ 33.86 $ 70,430
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 15,880 0.75 $ 22.59 $ 46,980

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)
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 50,960 14.17 $ 33.86 $ 70,430
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 107,310 14.17 $ 28.37 $ 59,010
Coal Mining 5,000 12.80 $ 30.04 $ 62,480
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 15,750 12.68 $ 30.95 $ 64,380
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 9,630 9.99 $ 23.76 $ 49,410

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 1,110 1.01 $ 41.45 $ 86,210
Scientific Research and Development Services 60 0.01 $ 41.00 $ 85,280
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,660 0.44 $ 37.65 $ 78,310
Other Pipeline Transportation 50 0.68 $ 37.18 $ 77,340
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 280 0.90 $ 34.42 $ 71,600


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 2022


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 40,490 3.12 1.09 $ 22.70 $ 47,220
California 31,940 1.81 0.63 $ 40.19 $ 83,600
Florida 27,730 3.01 1.05 $ 25.95 $ 53,980
Pennsylvania 23,380 4.02 1.41 $ 28.03 $ 58,310
North Carolina 14,910 3.21 1.12 $ 21.88 $ 45,500


Map of location quotient of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by state, May 2022


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 3,880 14.46 5.05 $ 30.99 $ 64,460
West Virginia 7,320 10.80 3.77 $ 24.75 $ 51,480
North Dakota 3,920 9.67 3.38 $ 29.49 $ 61,340
Alaska 2,350 7.66 2.68 $ 33.14 $ 68,930
Montana 3,620 7.40 2.59 $ 27.73 $ 57,690


Map of annual mean wages of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by state, May 2022


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 6,050 1.47 0.51 $ 40.80 $ 84,860
Hawaii 1,710 2.88 1.01 $ 40.31 $ 83,850
California 31,940 1.81 0.63 $ 40.19 $ 83,600
New York 13,250 1.45 0.51 $ 39.59 $ 82,360
Illinois 12,310 2.09 0.73 $ 39.56 $ 82,280



Map of employment of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by area, May 2022


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 11,200 1.22 0.43 $ 44.79 $ 93,170
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 10,240 3.35 1.17 $ 23.75 $ 49,400
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 8,000 2.10 0.74 $ 23.14 $ 48,130
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,950 1.80 0.63 $ 41.29 $ 85,880
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,500 1.23 0.43 $ 40.49 $ 84,210
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 7,360 2.80 0.98 (8) (8)
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 6,520 2.94 1.03 $ 27.26 $ 56,700
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6,050 2.18 0.76 $ 32.75 $ 68,110
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,830 1.93 0.67 $ 27.79 $ 57,810
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 5,620 2.06 0.72 $ 22.80 $ 47,430


Map of location quotient of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by area, May 2022


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)
Greeley, CO 1,190 11.03 3.86 $ 26.34 $ 54,780
Farmington, NM 460 10.49 3.67 $ 26.41 $ 54,940
Fairbanks, AK 350 10.16 3.55 $ 32.66 $ 67,930
Midland, TX 1,040 9.91 3.46 $ 24.94 $ 51,880
Beckley, WV 390 9.60 3.35 $ 24.19 $ 50,300
The Villages, FL 350 9.59 3.35 $ 21.45 $ 44,610
Wheeling, WV-OH 500 8.49 2.97 $ 27.84 $ 57,900
Morgantown, WV 540 8.42 2.94 $ 25.53 $ 53,100
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 290 8.13 2.84 $ 22.39 $ 46,570
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 1,030 8.07 2.82 $ 29.63 $ 61,630


Map of annual mean wages of operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for 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)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,760 1.57 0.55 $ 47.57 $ 98,950
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,180 1.05 0.37 $ 46.91 $ 97,580
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 11,200 1.22 0.43 $ 44.79 $ 93,170
Urban Honolulu, HI 1,040 2.45 0.86 $ 42.98 $ 89,390
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 230 1.89 0.66 $ 42.54 $ 88,480
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,740 1.84 0.64 $ 42.49 $ 88,380
Decatur, IL 310 6.73 2.35 $ 41.54 $ 86,390
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,950 1.80 0.63 $ 41.29 $ 85,880
Santa Rosa, CA 600 2.97 1.04 $ 41.02 $ 85,310
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 2,750 2.67 0.93 $ 40.84 $ 84,950

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,820 7.36 2.57 $ 21.24 $ 44,180
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 2,340 28.42 9.94 $ 33.57 $ 69,820
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 2,250 20.47 7.16 $ 31.18 $ 64,860
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 2,090 15.75 5.50 $ 23.41 $ 48,690
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 1,940 21.12 7.38 $ 24.65 $ 51,260

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 2,340 28.42 9.94 $ 33.57 $ 69,820
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 1,940 21.12 7.38 $ 24.65 $ 51,260
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 2,250 20.47 7.16 $ 31.18 $ 64,860
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 2,090 15.75 5.50 $ 23.41 $ 48,690
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 980 14.16 4.95 $ 21.86 $ 45,460

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 440 3.79 1.33 $ 36.50 $ 75,910
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 460 4.71 1.65 $ 36.32 $ 75,550
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 490 3.79 1.32 $ 35.95 $ 74,780
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 500 3.10 1.08 $ 35.30 $ 73,420
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 120 3.64 1.27 $ 34.74 $ 72,250


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023