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
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,190 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $48,680 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $59,850 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $77,170 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $101,090 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $66,290 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.28 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.4 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $28.78 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $37.1 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $48.6 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $31.87 | Average 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
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $59,850 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 1.17 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
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 62,660 | 13.1% | $61,740 | $51,510 to $84,570 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 17,620 | 3.7% | $60,430 | $50,140 to $77,990 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 15,110 | 3.2% | $64,350 | $50,660 to $83,200 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 7,960 | 1.7% | $68,620 | $56,280 to $91,520 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 4,760 | 1.0% | $65,600 | $52,940 to $94,780 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 2,480 | 0.5% | $71,260 | $57,720 to $90,840 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 2,220 | 0.5% | $95,500 | $74,930 to $103,720 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 1,610 | 0.3% | $61,420 | $48,990 to $84,420 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 1,390 | 0.3% | $61,610 | $49,070 to $85,470 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 510 | 0.1% | $50,840 | $43,980 to $72,800 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 300 | 0.1% | $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
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $61,660 | $54,760 to $72,940 | 6,450 | 0.67 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,370 | $47,730 to $60,400 | 11,510 | 0.92 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $62,540 | $52,400 to $67,530 | 7,980 | 1.09 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $49,430 | $46,240 to $59,220 | 8,360 | 0.94 |
| Columbus, OH | $78,950 | $62,050 to $95,780 | 3,290 | 0.97 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,100 | $78,580 to $117,350 | 7,930 | 0.57 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $124,340 | $79,470 to $130,150 | 1,360 | 0.39 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $79,040 | $65,250 to $104,200 | 3,040 | 0.82 |
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.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $124,990 | 400 | 1.78 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $124,750 | 4,080 | 0.56 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $124,340 | 1,360 | 0.39 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $117,630 | 1,430 | 1.04 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $105,080 | 710 | 1.12 |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,100 | 7,930 | 0.57 |
| 7 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $103,060 | 260 | 0.65 |
| 8 | Decatur, IL | $100,520 | 100 | 0.74 |
| 9 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $98,120 | 170 | 1.39 |
| 10 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $97,770 | 420 | 1.64 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 383 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $40,190 | 330 | 0.69 |
| 384 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $39,200 | 1,010 | 1.11 |
| 385 | Hot Springs, AR | $37,760 | 250 | 2.09 |
| 386 | Gadsden, AL | $36,910 | 100 | 1.01 |
| 387 | Rome, GA | $36,400 | 150 | 1.07 |
| 388 | Arecibo, PR | $31,360 | 90 | 0.82 |
| 389 | Mayaguez, PR | $30,970 | 90 | 0.55 |
| 390 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $29,810 | 1,730 | 0.81 |
| 391 | Aguadilla, PR | $28,440 | 130 | 0.89 |
| 392 | Ponce, PR | $27,770 | 200 | 1.01 |
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.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $124,990 | $57,640 | 2.17 times | 400 | 1.78 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $98,120 | $45,540 | 2.15 times | 170 | 1.39 |
| Rockford, IL | $97,250 | $47,120 | 2.06 times | 260 | 0.61 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $97,770 | $47,430 | 2.06 times | 420 | 1.64 |
| Kankakee, IL | $94,270 | $45,830 | 2.06 times | 90 | 0.7 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $117,630 | $57,220 | 2.06 times | 1,430 | 1.04 |
| Decatur, IL | $100,520 | $51,290 | 1.96 times | 100 | 0.74 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,100 | $54,720 | 1.88 times | 7,930 | 0.57 |
| Wausau, WI | $90,900 | $48,790 | 1.86 times | 200 | 0.92 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $105,080 | $56,850 | 1.85 times | 710 | 1.12 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $90,320 | $48,870 | 1.85 times | 280 | 1.21 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $92,900 | $50,700 | 1.83 times | 160 | 0.48 |
| Evansville, IN | $84,500 | $46,540 | 1.82 times | 510 | 1.23 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $89,460 | $49,290 | 1.81 times | 240 | 1.55 |
| Bloomington, IL | $96,250 | $53,140 | 1.81 times | 180 | 0.68 |
| Springfield, IL | $95,310 | $52,670 | 1.81 times | 210 | 0.67 |
| Modesto, CA | $90,560 | $50,610 | 1.79 times | 430 | 0.71 |
| Peoria, IL | $86,440 | $49,590 | 1.74 times | 330 | 0.65 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $80,460 | $46,540 | 1.73 times | 360 | 0.88 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $83,460 | $48,780 | 1.71 times | 340 | 1.09 |
| Salinas, CA | $80,320 | $47,380 | 1.70 times | 340 | 0.6 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $124,750 | $74,260 | 1.68 times | 4,080 | 0.56 |
| Kokomo, IN | $82,270 | $48,980 | 1.68 times | 100 | 0.92 |
| Fresno, CA | $78,310 | $46,910 | 1.67 times | 1,290 | 0.88 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $82,190 | $49,340 | 1.67 times | 3,700 | 1.09 |
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
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| 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.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call pay | Included | BLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS 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.
Hiring Heavy Equipment Operator (sitework)?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
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.
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- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.