How Much Money Do Heavy Equipment Operators Make?

Heavy-equipment operators operate ride-on vehicles used for construction or industry, such as bulldozers, graders, scrapers, pavers and street sweepers.

Work Experience

In November 2009, the average annual salary for heavy-equipment operators with one to four years of experience was $24,036 to $42,704, according to Payscale.com. Operators with 20 years of experience or more earned $40,506 to $70,830.

Employer Type

At an average of $113,033, self-employed heavy-equipment operators had the highest average income in November 2009 but also had one of the lowest average starting incomes, at $24,875. Overall, the lowest-paying employers of heavy-equipment operators were private companies, with salaries from $14,150 to $35,608.

Industry

The highest-paying industry for heavy-equipment operators in November 2009 was commercial construction, with average salaries of $33,904 to $81,328.

Education

Heavy-equipment operators who held a high school diploma earned an average of $14.61 to $20.25 per hour, and those with a GED earned $14.11 to $19 an hour, according to Payscale.com.

Geography

With average salaries of $38,813 to $75,466, California was the highest-paying state for heavy-equipment operators in November 2009. Jobs in Florida, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania also paid well.

References

• Payscale.com