Heavy equipment operator salary in Connecticut
Median $37.86 an hour for 2,860 heavy equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Heavy equipment operator pay in Connecticut: the full range
Connecticut ranks 9th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 9th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $36.54). 2,860 heavy equipment operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $28.85 – $31.11 | $60,000 – $64,720 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $31.11 – $48.85 | $64,720 – $101,610 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $48.85 – $51.41 | $101,610 – $106,920 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Connecticut
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | $29.70 | $39.54 | $36.99 | $53.36 | 600 | 4% above |
| New Haven | $29.60 | $38.38 | $36.69 | $51.58 | 450 | 1% above |
| Waterbury | $28.57 | $37.66 | $37.74 | $48.71 | 300 | 1% below |
| Hartford | $28.58 | $36.89 | $35.92 | $51.20 | 990 | 3% below |
| Norwich | $26.27 | $32.14 | $32.01 | $49.02 | 210 | 15% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Heavy equipment operator wages in Connecticut over time
Table
| Year | Connecticut $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $19.58 | $37.84 | $15.31 | 3,330 |
| 2000 | $21.20 | $39.64 | $15.99 | 3,560 |
| 2001 | $21.70 | $39.45 | $16.42 | 3,640 |
| 2002 | $21.72 | $38.87 | $16.94 | 3,080 |
| 2003 | $22.60 | $39.54 | $16.84 | 2,930 |
| 2004 | $23.48 | $40.02 | $17.00 | 2,970 |
| 2005 | $23.93 | $39.45 | $17.23 | 3,070 |
| 2006 | $23.68 | $37.82 | $17.74 | 3,140 |
| 2007 | $24.78 | $38.48 | $18.33 | 3,630 |
| 2008 | $25.62 | $38.31 | $18.88 | 3,530 |
| 2009 | $26.55 | $39.84 | $19.12 | 3,000 |
| 2010 | $26.27 | $38.79 | $19.42 | 2,560 |
| 2011 | $25.70 | $36.78 | $19.96 | 2,530 |
| 2012 | $27.29 | $38.27 | $20.13 | 2,360 |
| 2013 | $29.02 | $40.11 | $20.45 | 2,670 |
| 2014 | $30.03 | $40.84 | $20.92 | 2,840 |
| 2015 | $30.20 | $41.02 | $21.44 | 3,150 |
| 2016 | $30.32 | $40.67 | $22.06 | 3,060 |
| 2017 | $31.41 | $41.25 | $22.61 | 3,120 |
| 2018 | $32.64 | $41.85 | $22.98 | 3,130 |
| 2019 | $33.87 | $42.65 | $23.55 | 3,200 |
| 2020 | $32.60 | $40.55 | $23.93 | 3,220 |
| 2021 | $30.24 | $35.93 | $23.25 | 3,570 |
| 2022 | $36.65 | $40.32 | $24.73 | 3,010 |
| 2023 | $35.46 | $37.47 | $27.00 | 3,120 |
| 2024 | $36.87 | $37.84 | $28.23 | 2,810 |
| 2025 | $37.86 | $37.86 | $28.78 | 2,860 |
In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Connecticut changed by -7.7% over the last ten years of data and by -11.2% since 2019.
Are there more heavy equipment operator jobs in Connecticut?
BLS counted 2,860 heavy equipment operators in Connecticut in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 7%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for heavy equipment operators in Connecticut
Connecticut's labor market agency projects the number of heavy equipment operators in the state to change by +6.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,900 to 3,090, with about 260 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +4.6% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,860 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Connecticut labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in Connecticut
On federally funded construction in Connecticut, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 7 of the 7 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $81.72 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $37.86.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260020 |
| Hartford | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260021 |
| Middlesex | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260022 |
| New Haven | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260023 |
| New London | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260024 |
| Tolland | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260025 |
| Windham | Union ENGI0478-004 2025-04-06 | $51.92 | $29.80 | $81.72 | CT20260026 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Connecticut prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination. Davis-Bacon determinations still use Connecticut's eight historical counties; employment data uses the nine 2022 planning regions.
Is construction work growing in Connecticut?
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.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Planning Region | 1,624 | 14,118 | $92,134 | $1,772 |
| Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | 393 | 3,033 | $89,384 | $1,719 |
| Greater Bridgeport Planning Region | 460 | 3,068 | $84,025 | $1,616 |
| Naugatuck Valley Planning Region | 907 | 5,930 | $83,848 | $1,612 |
| South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 958 | 7,160 | $83,387 | $1,604 |
| Western Connecticut Planning Region | 1,241 | 6,980 | $79,869 | $1,536 |
| Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region | 457 | 2,258 | $79,390 | $1,527 |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region | 352 | 1,404 | $76,780 | $1,477 |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region | 207 | 798 | $76,174 | $1,465 |
Keep comparing
Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Connecticut
More on Connecticut
Questions this page answers
How much do heavy equipment operators make in Connecticut?
The median heavy equipment operator in Connecticut earned $37.86 an hour ($78,750 a year) in May 2025, 32% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $31.11–$48.85; the top 10% earn more than $51.41.
Where does Connecticut rank for heavy equipment operator pay?
Connecticut ranks 9th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $37.86 an hour, and 9th after adjusting for Connecticut's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.6, US = 100).
What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Connecticut?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for heavy equipment operators in 7 counties, with a typical package of $81.72 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many heavy equipment operators work in Connecticut?
BLS counted 2,860 heavy equipment operators in Connecticut in May 2025, 1.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.55; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is heavy equipment operator work growing in Connecticut?
Connecticut's labor market agency projects +6.6% growth for heavy equipment operators between 2024 and 2034, from 2,900 to 3,090 jobs.
How many heavy equipment operator openings a year are there in Connecticut?
Connecticut projects about 260 openings a year for heavy equipment operators over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 39,200 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Connecticut and metro areas, SOC 47-2073. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Connecticut labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.