Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 47-2073

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

O*NET task statements lead this Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators, Boilermakers, Terrazzo Workers and Finishers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) , Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators ($70K) , Boilermakers ($76K) , Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2073 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Learn and follow safety regulations
  2. 2. Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects
  3. 3. Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability
  4. 4. Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road gr…
  5. 5. Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members
  6. 6. Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand s…
  7. 7. Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work
  8. 8. Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines
  9. 9. Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary
  10. 10. Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equi…
  11. 11. Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to d…
  12. 12. Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking…

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2073 - lead skill Operation and Control at 4.1 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 4.1
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.3
  3. 3. Equipment Maintenance 3.3
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.0
  6. 6. Troubleshooting 3.0
  7. 7. Time Management 3.0
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.6
  2. 2. English Language 3.3
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 3.1
  4. 4. Mathematics 2.8
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.8
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 2.7
National median after O*NET task lead
$59,850
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Learn and follow safety regulations
$60K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
41,900
Annual openings
478,090
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Highest-pay peer · $80K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

1. Washington $81,700
2. Minnesota $79,130
3. New Jersey $89,660
4. Illinois $97,740
5. New York $80,980
6. Connecticut $78,750
7. Alaska $77,810
8. California $87,160
9. Hawaii $115,860
10. Indiana $79,580

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Boilermakers $76,410
  2. 2. Terrazzo Workers and Finishers $76,170
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  4. 4. Construction and Building Inspectors $74,690
  5. 5. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  6. 6. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073). The national OEWS median is $59,850 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations. Same-group neighbors: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators, Boilermakers, Terrazzo Workers and Finishers. Lead published task: Learn and follow safety regulations.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 41,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $81,700. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $79,920. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay-rank #22 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators sits at pay-rank #22 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2073 · national median $59,850 · middle third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#22/60). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2073

Washington · top state for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

$82K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$79K · behind Washington

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators · $80K

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Lower-pay peer beside Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators · $70K

Compare Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #22 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas ($60K), Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers ($59K), Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers ($59K), Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas ($59K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. Leading ones include: Learn and follow safety regulations; Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects; Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability; Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road gr…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators? ▼
For SOC 47-2073, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (4.1), Operations Monitoring (3.3), Equipment Maintenance (3.3), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $59,850 as the national median for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. The published 10th-90th range is $42,190 to $101,090. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($79,920), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 41,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators? ▼
Washington ($81,700), Minnesota ($79,130), New Jersey ($89,660) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2073. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics