Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in Colorado

Median $30.11 an hour for 11,700 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.11/hrMedian hourly wageColorado, May data
$62,620/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.79 – $37.9210th to 90th percentilehourly range
11,700Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Heavy equipment operator pay in Colorado: the full range

Wage percentiles, ColoradoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrColorado: 10th $23.79 · 25th $27.74 · median $30.11 · 75th $35.42 · 90th $37.92Colorado$30.11$23.79$37.92United States: 10th $20.28 · 25th $23.40 · median $28.78 · 75th $37.10 · 90th $48.60United States$28.78
Hourly wage percentiles for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators: Colorado vs United States, May 2025.

Colorado ranks 20th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 30th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.20). 11,700 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.79 – $27.74$49,480 – $57,700roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$27.74 – $35.42$57,700 – $73,670the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$35.42 – $37.92$73,670 – $78,870the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Colorado

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrBoulder: $34.16Boulder$34.16Fort Collins: $31.08Fort Collins$31.08Denver: $30.81Denver$30.81Colorado Springs: $29.64Colorado Springs$29.64Pueblo: $29.39Pueblo$29.39Greeley: $29.18Greeley$29.18Grand Junction: $27.74Grand Junction$27.74
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in Colorado, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Boulder$24.25$34.16$44.8919013% above
Fort Collins$24.53$31.08$37.566003% above
Denver$25.23$30.81$38.425,1502% above
Colorado Springs$23.74$29.64$37.381,0302% below
Pueblo$22.78$29.39$35.973102% below
Greeley$24.05$29.18$35.411,5503% below
Grand Junction$22.90$27.74$34.173908% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in Colorado over time

Colorado, 1999-2025ColoradoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.11Colorado$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, Colorado vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearColorado $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.46$31.81$15.318,310
2000$17.32$32.38$15.999,330
2001$17.45$31.72$16.428,460
2002$18.16$32.50$16.948,830
2003$18.07$31.62$16.848,910
2004$17.89$30.49$17.008,070
2005$18.46$30.43$17.238,770
2006$19.00$30.34$17.749,110
2007$19.86$30.84$18.339,460
2008$20.01$29.92$18.889,460
2009$20.33$30.51$19.128,890
2010$20.04$29.59$19.427,020
2011$20.67$29.58$19.966,740
2012$20.47$28.70$20.136,650
2013$20.36$28.14$20.457,480
2014$20.56$27.96$20.928,440
2015$21.55$29.27$21.448,870
2016$22.78$30.56$22.069,250
2017$23.24$30.52$22.619,950
2018$23.78$30.49$22.9811,290
2019$24.10$30.35$23.5510,970
2020$24.66$30.68$23.9312,110
2021$23.49$27.91$23.2511,310
2022$26.22$28.84$24.7312,040
2023$28.57$30.19$27.0011,920
2024$29.60$30.38$28.2312,050
2025$30.11$30.11$28.7811,700

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Colorado changed by +2.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in Colorado

On federally funded construction in Colorado, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 64 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $13.41). 64 of the 64 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Adams County at $26.56). The market median for the state is $30.11.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, COAdams: $26.56 (survey)Alamosa: $13.41 (survey)Arapahoe: $26.56 (survey)Archuleta: $13.41 (survey)Baca: $13.41 (survey)Bent: $13.41 (survey)Boulder: $26.56 (survey)Broomfield: $26.56 (survey)Chaffee: $13.41 (survey)Cheyenne: $13.41 (survey)Clear Creek: $26.56 (survey)Conejos: $13.41 (survey)Costilla: $13.41 (survey)Crowley: $13.41 (survey)Custer: $13.41 (survey)Delta: $13.41 (survey)Denver: $26.56 (survey)Dolores: $13.41 (survey)Douglas: $26.56 (survey)Eagle: $13.41 (survey)Elbert: $26.56 (survey)El Paso: $28.88 (survey)Fremont: $13.41 (survey)Garfield: $13.41 (survey)Gilpin: $26.56 (survey)Grand: $13.41 (survey)Gunnison: $13.41 (survey)Hinsdale: $13.41 (survey)Huerfano: $13.41 (survey)Jackson: $13.41 (survey)Jefferson: $26.56 (survey)Kiowa: $13.41 (survey)Kit Carson: $13.41 (survey)Lake: $13.41 (survey)La Plata: $13.41 (survey)Larimer: $26.56 (survey)Las Animas: $13.41 (survey)Lincoln: $13.41 (survey)Logan: $13.41 (survey)Mesa: $26.56 (survey)Mineral: $13.41 (survey)Moffat: $13.41 (survey)Montezuma: $13.41 (survey)Montrose: $13.41 (survey)Morgan: $13.41 (survey)Otero: $13.41 (survey)Ouray: $13.41 (survey)Park: $26.56 (survey)Phillips: $13.41 (survey)Pitkin: $13.41 (survey)Prowers: $13.41 (survey)Pueblo: $28.88 (survey)Rio Blanco: $13.41 (survey)Rio Grande: $13.41 (survey)Routt: $13.41 (survey)Saguache: $13.41 (survey)San Juan: $13.41 (survey)San Miguel: $13.41 (survey)Sedgwick: $13.41 (survey)Summit: $13.41 (survey)Teller: $28.88 (survey)Washington: $13.41 (survey)Weld: $26.56 (survey)Yuma: $13.41 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$26.56survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for heavy equipment operators by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$25$27.50$30$32.50$35/hrPueblo (Pueblo): market median $29.39, prevailing (survey) $28.88, gap −$0.51Pueblo (Pueblo)−$0.51El Paso (Colorado Springs): market median $29.64, prevailing (survey) $28.88, gap −$0.76El Paso (Colorado Springs)−$0.76Mesa (Grand Junction): market median $27.74, prevailing (survey) $26.56, gap −$1.18Mesa (Grand Junction)−$1.18Weld (Greeley): market median $29.18, prevailing (survey) $26.56, gap −$2.62Weld (Greeley)−$2.62Adams (Denver): market median $30.81, prevailing (survey) $26.56, gap −$4.25Adams (Denver)−$4.25Larimer (Fort Collins): market median $31.08, prevailing (survey) $26.56, gap −$4.52Larimer (Fort Collins)−$4.52Boulder (Boulder): market median $34.16, prevailing (survey) $26.56, gap −$7.60Boulder (Boulder)−$7.60
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in Colorado.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
El PasoSurvey SUCO2013-008 2015-07-31$20.26$8.62$28.88CO20260022
PuebloSurvey SUCO2013-013 2015-07-31$20.26$8.62$28.88CO20260027
TellerSurvey SUCO2013-014 2015-07-31$20.26$8.62$28.88CO20260028
AdamsSurvey SUCO2013-001 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260015
ArapahoeSurvey SUCO2013-002 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260016
BoulderSurvey SUCO2013-003 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260017
BroomfieldSurvey SUCO2013-004 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260018
Clear CreekSurvey SUCO2013-005 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260019
DenverSurvey SUCO2013-006 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260020
DouglasSurvey SUCO2013-007 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260021
ElbertSurvey SUCO2013-016 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260030
GilpinSurvey SUCO2013-016 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260030
JeffersonSurvey SUCO2013-009 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260023
LarimerSurvey SUCO2013-010 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260024
MesaSurvey SUCO2013-011 2015-07-31$20.78$5.78$26.56CO20260025

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Colorado prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Colorado?

191.1kConstruction jobsColorado, 2026-08
+1.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025191kAug 2026
Construction employment in Colorado (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just heavy equipment operators), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Denver County13,814$88,160$1,695
Jefferson County12,463$84,364$1,622
Adams County19,605$83,598$1,608
Arapahoe County14,058$82,624$1,589
Douglas County6,506$80,059$1,540
Eagle County2,741$77,396$1,488
Boulder County3,183$75,142$1,445
Broomfield County826$73,547$1,414
Summit County938$73,255$1,409
Grand County541$72,999$1,404
Weld County7,458$72,660$1,397
Larimer County7,322$72,635$1,397

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Colorado

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Colorado?

The median heavy equipment operator in Colorado earned $30.11 an hour ($62,620 a year) in May 2025, 5% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $27.74–$35.42; the top 10% earn more than $37.92.

Where does Colorado rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

Colorado ranks 20th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $30.11 an hour, and 30th after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Colorado?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a heavy equipment operator classification for most Colorado counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many heavy equipment operators work in Colorado?

BLS counted 11,700 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Colorado in May 2025, 4.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.32; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Colorado and metro areas, SOC 47-2073.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.