Operating Engineers

The median annual salary in May 2023 for all operating engineers and other construction equipment operators was $56,160, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Salaries ranged from less than $38,410 to more than $95,570 a year.

Often, workers are paid by the hour. Rates vary according to the area of the country and the employer. In highway, street, and bridge construction, the median hourly wage was $34.74 ($72,270 annually) in May 2023, according to the DOL. Those working in nonresidential building construction earned $33.02 an hour ($68,680 annually). In coal mining, operating engineers made $32.68 an hour ($67,980).

Benefits for operating engineers depend on the employer; however, they usually include such items as health insurance, retirement or 401(k) plans, and paid vacation days.