Heavy equipment operator salary in District of Columbia
Median $35.87 an hour for 620 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 District of Columbia: the full range
District of Columbia ranks 13th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 19th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.64). 620 heavy equipment operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $24.30 – $31.47 | $50,540 – $65,450 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $31.47 – $41.48 | $65,450 – $86,280 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $41.48 – $47.25 | $86,280 – $98,270 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in District of Columbia
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | $22.39 | $29.64 | $40.47 | 6,450 | 17% below |
Heavy equipment operator wages in District of Columbia over time
Table
| Year | District of Columbia $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $17.79 | $34.38 | $15.31 | — |
| 2000 | $17.93 | $33.52 | $15.99 | 490 |
| 2001 | $18.41 | $33.47 | $16.42 | 440 |
| 2002 | $19.53 | $34.95 | $16.94 | 660 |
| 2003 | $20.10 | $35.17 | $16.84 | 860 |
| 2004 | $18.47 | $31.48 | $17.00 | 690 |
| 2005 | $19.76 | $32.57 | $17.23 | 520 |
| 2006 | $20.37 | $32.53 | $17.74 | 490 |
| 2007 | $23.72 | $36.83 | $18.33 | 260 |
| 2008 | $23.78 | $35.56 | $18.88 | 180 |
| 2009 | $24.10 | $36.17 | $19.12 | 200 |
| 2010 | $25.74 | $38.00 | $19.42 | 260 |
| 2011 | $26.46 | $37.87 | $19.96 | 310 |
| 2012 | $26.48 | $37.13 | $20.13 | 360 |
| 2013 | $26.03 | $35.97 | $20.45 | 380 |
| 2014 | $25.74 | $35.00 | $20.92 | 470 |
| 2015 | $27.08 | $36.78 | $21.44 | 550 |
| 2016 | $29.08 | $39.01 | $22.06 | 570 |
| 2017 | $29.89 | $39.26 | $22.61 | 450 |
| 2018 | $28.79 | $36.91 | $22.98 | 440 |
| 2019 | $28.85 | $36.33 | $23.55 | 550 |
| 2020 | $29.49 | $36.68 | $23.93 | 510 |
| 2021 | $28.66 | $34.05 | $23.25 | 660 |
| 2022 | $30.20 | $33.22 | $24.73 | 510 |
| 2023 | $31.85 | $33.65 | $27.00 | 490 |
| 2024 | $33.20 | $34.07 | $28.23 | 560 |
| 2025 | $35.87 | $35.87 | $28.78 | 620 |
In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in District of Columbia changed by -2.5% over the last ten years of data and by -1.3% since 2019.
Are there more heavy equipment operator jobs in District of Columbia?
BLS counted 620 heavy equipment operators in District of Columbia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 16%. 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 District of Columbia
District of Columbia's labor market agency projects the number of heavy equipment operators in the state to change by +5.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 520 to 550, with about 50 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +4.6% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 620 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: District of Columbia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in District of Columbia?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 657 | 8,078 | $90,639 | $1,743 |
Keep comparing
Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in District of Columbia
More on District of Columbia
Questions this page answers
How much do heavy equipment operators make in District of Columbia?
The median heavy equipment operator in District of Columbia earned $35.87 an hour ($74,610 a year) in May 2025, 25% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $31.47–$41.48; the top 10% earn more than $47.25.
Where does District of Columbia rank for heavy equipment operator pay?
District of Columbia ranks 13th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $35.87 an hour, and 19th after adjusting for District of Columbia's cost of living (BEA price parity 109.9, US = 100).
What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in District of Columbia?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a heavy equipment operator classification for most District of Columbia counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many heavy equipment operators work in District of Columbia?
BLS counted 620 heavy equipment operators in District of Columbia in May 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.29; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is heavy equipment operator work growing in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's labor market agency projects +5.2% growth for heavy equipment operators between 2024 and 2034, from 520 to 550 jobs.
How many heavy equipment operator openings a year are there in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia projects about 50 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, District of Columbia 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: District of Columbia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.