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Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) Salary

This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.

BLS does not measure Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) as its own occupation, so this page uses Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073, closest proxy). The median annual wage in the United States was $59,850 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $48,680 to $77,170.

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Closest proxy

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is the closest occupational proxy based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.

National pay range

Median $59,850P10 $42,190P90 $101,090
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, United States, annual wages
PointAnnual wageMeaning
10th percentile$42,19010% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this.
25th percentile$48,68025% earned less than this.
Median$59,850Half earned less, half earned more.
75th percentile$77,17075% earned less than this.
90th percentile$101,09090% earned less than this.
Mean$66,290Average wage.

What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, United States. View this release at BLS.

Pay relative to all occupations

Median for this occupation divided by the all-occupations median, same area, same annual basis
MeasureValue
This occupation, median$59,850
All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median$50,980
Relative wage1.17 times

A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.

Pay in industries that hire this occupation

National employment and pay by BLS industry, BLS, May 2025
Industry (BLS name)NAICSEmploymentShare of occupationMedianP25 to P75
Utility System Construction23710062,66013.1%$61,740$51,510 to $84,570
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction23713017,6203.7%$60,430$50,140 to $77,990
Nonresidential Building Construction23620015,1103.2%$64,350$50,660 to $83,200
Building Equipment Contractors2382007,9601.7%$68,620$56,280 to $91,520
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors2382104,7601.0%$65,600$52,940 to $94,780
Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors2382202,4800.5%$71,260$57,720 to $90,840
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution2211002,2200.5%$95,500$74,930 to $103,720
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services5413001,6100.3%$61,420$48,990 to $84,420
Engineering Services5413301,3900.3%$61,610$49,070 to $85,470
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance8113005100.1%$50,840$43,980 to $72,800
Facilities Support Services5612003000.1%$70,000$58,500 to $110,470

These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.

Pay in target metros

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in target metros, BLS, May 2025
Metro areaMedianP25 to P75EmploymentLocation quotient
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$61,660$54,760 to $72,9406,4500.67
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$51,370$47,730 to $60,40011,5100.92
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$62,540$52,400 to $67,5307,9801.09
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$49,430$46,240 to $59,2208,3600.94
Columbus, OH$78,950$62,050 to $95,7803,2900.97
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,100$78,580 to $117,3507,9300.57
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$124,340$79,470 to $130,1501,3600.39
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$79,040$65,250 to $104,2003,0400.82

Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.

Highest and lowest paying metros

Ranked by published median annual wage among 392 metro areas with an exact median.

Top 10 metros by median, BLS, May 2025
RankMetro areaMedianEmploymentLocation quotient
1Kahului-Wailuku, HI$124,9904001.78
2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$124,7504,0800.56
3San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$124,3401,3600.39
4Urban Honolulu, HI$117,6301,4301.04
5Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$105,0807101.12
6Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,1007,9300.57
7Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$103,0602600.65
8Decatur, IL$100,5201000.74
9Michigan City-La Porte, IN$98,1201701.39
10Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$97,7704201.64
Bottom 10 metros by median, BLS, May 2025
RankMetro areaMedianEmploymentLocation quotient
383Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$40,1903300.69
384McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$39,2001,0101.11
385Hot Springs, AR$37,7602502.09
386Gadsden, AL$36,9101001.01
387Rome, GA$36,4001501.07
388Arecibo, PR$31,360900.82
389Mayaguez, PR$30,970900.55
390San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR$29,8101,7300.81
391Aguadilla, PR$28,4401300.89
392Ponce, PR$27,7702001.01

Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.

Where pay is highest relative to local wages

This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.

Leading metros by occupation median divided by local all-occupations median, BLS, May 2025
MetroOccupation medianAll-occupations medianRatioEmploymentLocation quotient
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$124,990$57,6402.17 times4001.78
Michigan City-La Porte, IN$98,120$45,5402.15 times1701.39
Rockford, IL$97,250$47,1202.06 times2600.61
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$97,770$47,4302.06 times4201.64
Kankakee, IL$94,270$45,8302.06 times900.7
Urban Honolulu, HI$117,630$57,2202.06 times1,4301.04
Decatur, IL$100,520$51,2901.96 times1000.74
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,100$54,7201.88 times7,9300.57
Wausau, WI$90,900$48,7901.86 times2000.92
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$105,080$56,8501.85 times7101.12
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI$90,320$48,8701.85 times2801.21
Champaign-Urbana, IL$92,900$50,7001.83 times1600.48
Evansville, IN$84,500$46,5401.82 times5101.23
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$89,460$49,2901.81 times2401.55
Bloomington, IL$96,250$53,1401.81 times1800.68
Springfield, IL$95,310$52,6701.81 times2100.67
Modesto, CA$90,560$50,6101.79 times4300.71
Peoria, IL$86,440$49,5901.74 times3300.65
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$80,460$46,5401.73 times3600.88
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN$83,460$48,7801.71 times3401.09
Salinas, CA$80,320$47,3801.70 times3400.6
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$124,750$74,2601.68 times4,0800.56
Kokomo, IN$82,270$48,9801.68 times1000.92
Fresno, CA$78,310$46,9101.67 times1,2900.88
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$82,190$49,3401.67 times3,7001.09

Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.

Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 47-2073 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.

Change since the prior BLS release

Median annual wage, same SOC and same BLS area code, two releases
Reference periodMedian
May 2024$58,710
May 2025$59,850
Difference+$1,140 (+1.9%)

Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.

What is inside the BLS pay figure

For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.

Pay components for Mechanical, Structural & General Craft roles against the BLS wage definition
ComponentIn the BLS figure?Note
Base rate and guaranteed payIncludedBLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay".
Production and incentive payIncludedBLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses".
On-call payIncludedBLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages.
Overtime pay matters hereLeft outBLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only.
Shift differentialsLeft outBLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure.
Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters hereDepends on the termsGuaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined.
Per diem, travel and relocation matters hereLeft outBLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure.
Benefits and employer costsLeft outBLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits".

Questions

What is the median pay for Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework)?

The BLS median annual wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators nationally is $59,850 (BLS, May 2025).

What range do most Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) earn?

Per BLS, the middle half earned $48,680 to $77,170, and 10% earned less than $42,190.

Is this the exact job title?

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is the closest occupational proxy based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.

How many people are employed in this occupation?

BLS estimates 478,090 jobs nationally in Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators across all industries.

What do BLS wages leave out?

They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.

Hiring Market Brief

A one-page brief for Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework): BLS pay, mapping and caveats.

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What the published rows say about Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States is represented here by Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, SOC 47-2073, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the proxy crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework), supplies the figures on this page. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, the published annual median is $59,850 and the middle-half endpoints are $48,680 and $77,170.

The Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States middle-half band spans $28,490 on the annual basis. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $11,170, compared with $17,320 from the median to the upper quarter. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, for an offer against this Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States can also be compared with Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, where the annual median for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is $51,040 in May 2025. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, the Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) crosswalk comparison differs by $8,810 from the the United States median.

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States can also be compared with Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, where the annual median for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is $51,370 in May 2025. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, the Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) crosswalk comparison differs by $8,480 from the the United States median.

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 47-2073 are Finance and Insurance at $107,190 and Painting and Wall Covering Contractors at $103,630. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.

The Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States matched median changed from $58,710 in May 2024 to $59,850 in May 2025, a difference of $1,140 up. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 47-2073, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, this Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States, no Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework)-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.

Questions about Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States

Which BLS row supports Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States?

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) is mapped to SOC 47-2073, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $59,850. The mapping is proxy, not a separate survey of this niche title.

Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework)?

Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework) pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 47-2073 observation.

Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.

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