Heavy equipment operator salary in Delaware
Median $27.89 an hour for 1,230 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 Delaware: the full range
Delaware ranks 34th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.95). 1,230 heavy equipment operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.5× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.80 – $22.36 | $39,090 – $46,500 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.36 – $31.80 | $46,500 – $66,140 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $31.80 – $46.89 | $66,140 – $97,520 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Delaware
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $23.45 | $32.12 | $31.31 | $54.47 | 5,620 | 15% above |
| Dover | $18.80 | $23.49 | $24.09 | $38.81 | 190 | 16% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Heavy equipment operator wages in Delaware over time
Table
| Year | Delaware $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $15.54 | $30.03 | $15.31 | 1,330 |
| 2000 | $14.99 | $28.03 | $15.99 | 1,200 |
| 2001 | $16.32 | $29.67 | $16.42 | 1,350 |
| 2002 | $15.81 | $28.29 | $16.94 | 1,100 |
| 2003 | $16.11 | $28.19 | $16.84 | 1,310 |
| 2004 | $16.82 | $28.67 | $17.00 | 1,380 |
| 2005 | $17.50 | $28.85 | $17.23 | 1,600 |
| 2006 | $19.01 | $30.36 | $17.74 | 1,520 |
| 2007 | $19.37 | $30.08 | $18.33 | 1,460 |
| 2008 | $19.52 | $29.19 | $18.88 | 1,320 |
| 2009 | $18.26 | $27.40 | $19.12 | 1,220 |
| 2010 | $18.15 | $26.80 | $19.42 | 1,150 |
| 2011 | $18.20 | $26.05 | $19.96 | 1,200 |
| 2012 | $17.63 | $24.72 | $20.13 | 1,070 |
| 2013 | $18.68 | $25.82 | $20.45 | 1,190 |
| 2014 | $18.77 | $25.53 | $20.92 | 1,150 |
| 2015 | $20.20 | $27.44 | $21.44 | 1,100 |
| 2016 | $18.17 | $24.37 | $22.06 | 1,120 |
| 2017 | $19.15 | $25.15 | $22.61 | 1,160 |
| 2018 | $18.92 | $24.26 | $22.98 | 1,300 |
| 2019 | $21.24 | $26.75 | $23.55 | 1,220 |
| 2020 | $21.43 | $26.66 | $23.93 | 1,330 |
| 2021 | $22.42 | $26.64 | $23.25 | 1,160 |
| 2022 | $23.14 | $25.46 | $24.73 | 1,310 |
| 2023 | $24.35 | $25.73 | $27.00 | 1,270 |
| 2024 | $27.23 | $27.95 | $28.23 | 1,190 |
| 2025 | $27.89 | $27.89 | $28.78 | 1,230 |
In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Delaware changed by +1.6% over the last ten years of data and by +4.3% since 2019.
Are there more heavy equipment operator jobs in Delaware?
BLS counted 1,230 heavy equipment operators in Delaware in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 8%. 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 Delaware
Delaware's labor market agency projects the number of heavy equipment operators in the state to change by +5.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,290 to 1,360, with about 110 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +4.6% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,230 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Delaware 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 Delaware
On federally funded construction in Delaware, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 3 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $48.10). 3 of the 3 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Kent County at $56.12). The market median for the state is $27.89.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | Survey SUDE2014-004 2016-01-20 | $47.71 | $8.41 | $56.12 | DE20260007 |
| Sussex | Survey SUDE2014-006 2016-01-20 | $36.08 | $12.02 | $48.10 | DE20260009 |
| New Castle | Survey SUDE2014-005 2016-01-20 | $33.96 | $0.00 | $33.96 | DE20260008 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Delaware prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Delaware?
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. Across the 3 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 12,862 in 2015 to 15,905 in 2025, +23.7%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle County | 1,327 | 10,015 | $79,861 | $1,536 |
| Kent County | 318 | 1,656 | $71,423 | $1,374 |
| Sussex County | 688 | 4,234 | $64,356 | $1,238 |
Keep comparing
Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Delaware
More on Delaware
Questions this page answers
How much do heavy equipment operators make in Delaware?
The median heavy equipment operator in Delaware earned $27.89 an hour ($58,020 a year) in May 2025, 3% below the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $22.36–$31.80; the top 10% earn more than $46.89.
Where does Delaware rank for heavy equipment operator pay?
Delaware ranks 34th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $27.89 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for Delaware's cost of living (BEA price parity 99.8, US = 100).
What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Delaware?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a heavy equipment operator classification for most Delaware counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many heavy equipment operators work in Delaware?
BLS counted 1,230 heavy equipment operators in Delaware in May 2025, 2.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.82; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is heavy equipment operator work growing in Delaware?
Delaware's labor market agency projects +5.7% growth for heavy equipment operators between 2024 and 2034, from 1,290 to 1,360 jobs.
How many heavy equipment operator openings a year are there in Delaware?
Delaware projects about 110 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, Delaware 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 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Delaware labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.