Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in Illinois

Median $46.99 an hour for 12,290 heavy equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$46.99/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$97,740/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.93 – $59.3010th to 90th percentilehourly range
12,290Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Heavy equipment operator pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrIllinois: 10th $23.93 · 25th $33.28 · median $46.99 · 75th $52.56 · 90th $59.30Illinois$46.99$23.93$59.30United States: 10th $20.28 · 25th $23.40 · median $28.78 · 75th $37.10 · 90th $48.60United States$28.78
Hourly wage percentiles for heavy equipment operators: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

Illinois ranks 2nd of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 2nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $46.99). 12,290 heavy equipment operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.5× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$23.93 – $33.28$49,770 – $69,230roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$33.28 – $52.56$69,230 – $109,320the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$52.56 – $59.30$109,320 – $123,330the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrChicago: $49.57Chicago$49.57Decatur: $48.33Decatur$48.33Rockford: $46.75Rockford$46.75Bloomington: $46.27Bloomington$46.27Springfield: $45.82Springfield$45.82Kankakee: $45.32Kankakee$45.32Champaign: $44.66Champaign$44.66Peoria: $41.56Peoria$41.56St. Louis: $39.56St. Louis$39.56Davenport: $31.18Davenport$31.18Cape Girardeau: $29.56Cape Girardeau$29.56Paducah: $28.36Paducah$28.36
Median hourly wage for heavy equipment operators by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Chicago$27.92$49.57$47.85$59.697,9305% above
Decatur$23.97$48.33$54.67$55.851003% above
Rockford$27.73$46.75$50.70$56.272601% below
Bloomington$28.44$46.27$49.49$48.141802% below
Springfield$21.71$45.82$49.43$49.312102% below
Kankakee$29.09$45.32$47.01$59.00904% below
Champaign$27.73$44.66$48.18$54.561605% below
Peoria$22.16$41.56$45.57$49.3733012% below
St. Louis$22.70$39.56$41.60$48.474,19016% below
Davenport$20.63$31.18$34.99$46.6657034% below
Cape Girardeau$18.74$29.56$34.33$43.2113037% below
Paducah$22.89$28.36$32.94$40.2946040% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Heavy equipment operator wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50$60200020052010201520202025$46.99Illinois$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for heavy equipment operators, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$22.67$43.81$15.3111,640
2000$25.59$47.84$15.9911,270
2001$25.45$46.26$16.4212,330
2002$26.55$47.51$16.949,740
2003$27.35$47.85$16.849,400
2004$27.26$46.46$17.008,930
2005$27.61$45.51$17.239,290
2006$28.98$46.28$17.7410,190
2007$33.50$52.02$18.3310,810
2008$34.67$51.84$18.8811,000
2009$31.36$47.06$19.1211,240
2010$29.34$43.32$19.4211,300
2011$30.09$43.07$19.9611,180
2012$32.34$45.35$20.139,720
2013$33.54$46.35$20.459,590
2014$34.68$47.16$20.929,620
2015$35.88$48.74$21.4410,470
2016$38.82$52.07$22.0611,550
2017$38.68$50.80$22.6111,400
2018$40.32$51.69$22.9811,150
2019$38.68$48.71$23.5510,780
2020$38.61$48.03$23.9310,550
2021$37.87$44.99$23.2511,530
2022$41.27$45.40$24.7312,310
2023$43.13$45.57$27.0011,780
2024$46.62$47.85$28.2311,690
2025$46.99$46.99$28.7812,290

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Illinois changed by -3.6% over the last ten years of data and by -3.5% since 2019.

Are there more heavy equipment operator jobs in Illinois?

+14.0%Jobs since 201910,780 then, 12,290 in 2025
+17.4%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
2.0Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.7× the US share, 44th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of heavy equipment operators counted in Illinois has changed by +5.6%, against +47.4% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +14.0%.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Illinois vs United States, 1999 = 100IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages5075100125150175200020052010201520202025147United States106Illinois
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Illinois vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearIllinois jobsIllinois indexUS index
199911,640100100
200011,27097103
200112,330106109
20029,74084106
20039,40081106
20048,93077110
20059,29080117
200610,19088121
200710,81093124
200811,00094123
200911,24097114
201011,30097103
201111,18096103
20129,72084103
20139,59082105
20149,62083106
201510,47090110
201611,55099110
201711,40098113
201811,15096118
201910,78093125
202010,55091124
202111,53099125
202212,310106130
202311,780101139
202411,690100145
202512,290106147

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for heavy equipment operators in Illinois

+4.5%Projected growth in Illinois2024–2034, state agency
1,020Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
11,720Jobs in 202412,250 projected for 2034
+4.6%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of heavy equipment operators in the state to change by +4.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 11,720 to 12,250, with about 1,020 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 12,290 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Illinois 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 Illinois

On federally funded construction in Illinois, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 102 of the 102 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $75.85 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $46.99.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ILAdams: $114.00 (union)Alexander: $69.46 (union)Bond: $114.00 (union)Boone: $47.05 (union)Brown: $114.00 (union)Bureau: $114.00 (union)Calhoun: $114.00 (union)Carroll: $114.00 (union)Cass: $114.00 (union)Champaign: $69.46 (union)Christian: $69.46 (union)Clark: $69.46 (union)Clay: $69.46 (union)Clinton: $114.00 (union)Coles: $69.46 (union)Cook: $121.85 (union)Crawford: $69.46 (union)Cumberland: $69.46 (union)DeKalb: $47.05 (union)De Witt: $69.46 (union)Douglas: $69.46 (union)DuPage: $121.85 (union)Edgar: $69.46 (union)Edwards: $69.46 (union)Effingham: $69.46 (union)Fayette: $69.46 (union)Ford: $69.46 (union)Franklin: $69.46 (union)Fulton: $114.00 (union)Gallatin: $69.46 (union)Greene: $114.00 (union)Grundy: $121.85 (union)Hamilton: $69.46 (union)Hancock: $114.00 (union)Hardin: $69.46 (union)Henderson: $114.00 (union)Henry: $47.05 (union)Iroquois: $69.46 (union)Jackson: $69.46 (union)Jasper: $69.46 (union)Jefferson: $69.46 (union)Jersey: $114.00 (union)Jo Daviess: $114.00 (union)Johnson: $69.46 (union)Kane: $121.85 (union)Kankakee: $121.85 (union)Kendall: $121.85 (union)Knox: $114.00 (union)Lake: $121.85 (union)LaSalle: $114.00 (union)Lawrence: $69.46 (union)Lee: $114.00 (union)Livingston: $114.00 (union)Logan: $114.00 (union)McDonough: $114.00 (union)McHenry: $121.85 (union)McLean: $47.05 (union)Macon: $69.46 (union)Macoupin: $114.00 (union)Madison: $82.25 (union)Marion: $69.46 (union)Marshall: $114.00 (union)Mason: $114.00 (union)Massac: $69.46 (union)Menard: $114.00 (union)Mercer: $114.00 (union)Monroe: $114.00 (union)Montgomery: $114.00 (union)Morgan: $114.00 (union)Moultrie: $69.46 (union)Ogle: $47.05 (union)Peoria: $91.21 (union)Perry: $69.46 (union)Piatt: $69.46 (union)Pike: $114.00 (union)Pope: $69.46 (union)Pulaski: $69.46 (union)Putnam: $114.00 (union)Randolph: $114.00 (union)Richland: $69.46 (union)Rock Island: $47.05 (union)St. Clair: $82.25 (union)Saline: $69.46 (union)Sangamon: $69.46 (union)Schuyler: $114.00 (union)Scott: $114.00 (union)Shelby: $69.46 (union)Stark: $114.00 (union)Stephenson: $114.00 (union)Tazewell: $91.21 (union)Union: $69.46 (union)Vermilion: $69.46 (union)Wabash: $69.46 (union)Warren: $114.00 (union)Washington: $114.00 (union)Wayne: $69.46 (union)White: $69.46 (union)Whiteside: $114.00 (union)Will: $121.85 (union)Williamson: $69.46 (union)Winnebago: $47.05 (union)Woodford: $47.05 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$69.46$114.00
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 (union)$0$50$100$150/hrMercer (Davenport): market median $31.18, prevailing (union) $114.00, gap +$82.82Mercer (Davenport)+$82.82Kankakee (Kankakee): market median $45.32, prevailing (union) $121.85, gap +$76.53Kankakee (Kankakee)+$76.53Bond (St. Louis): market median $39.56, prevailing (union) $114.00, gap +$74.44Bond (St. Louis)+$74.44Marshall (Peoria): market median $41.56, prevailing (union) $114.00, gap +$72.44Marshall (Peoria)+$72.44Cook (Chicago): market median $49.57, prevailing (union) $121.85, gap +$72.28Cook (Chicago)+$72.28Menard (Springfield): market median $45.82, prevailing (union) $114.00, gap +$68.18Menard (Springfield)+$68.18Massac (Paducah): market median $28.36, prevailing (union) $69.46, gap +$41.10Massac (Paducah)+$41.10Alexander (Cape Girardeau): market median $29.56, prevailing (union) $69.46, gap +$39.90Alexander (Cape Girardeau)+$39.90Champaign (Champaign): market median $44.66, prevailing (union) $69.46, gap +$24.80Champaign (Champaign)+$24.80Macon (Decatur): market median $48.33, prevailing (union) $69.46, gap +$21.13Macon (Decatur)+$21.13McLean (Bloomington): market median $46.27, prevailing (union) $47.05, gap +$0.78McLean (Bloomington)+$0.78Boone (Rockford): market median $46.75, prevailing (union) $47.05, gap +$0.30Boone (Rockford)+$0.30
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in Illinois.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CookUnion ENGI0150-006 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260009
DuPageUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
GrundyUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
KaneUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
KankakeeUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260006
KendallUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
LakeUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
McHenryUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
WillUnion ENGI0150-026 2026-06-01$68.80$53.05$121.85IL20260008
AdamsUnion ENGI0150-005 2025-06-01$63.00$51.00$114.00IL20260001
BondUnion ENGI0150-005 2025-06-01$63.00$51.00$114.00IL20260001
BrownUnion ENGI0150-005 2025-06-01$63.00$51.00$114.00IL20260001
BureauUnion ENGI0150-005 2025-06-01$63.00$51.00$114.00IL20260001
CalhounUnion ENGI0150-005 2025-06-01$63.00$51.00$114.00IL20260001
CarrollUnion ENGI0150-005 2025-06-01$63.00$51.00$114.00IL20260001

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Illinois prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Illinois?

268.8kConstruction jobsIllinois, 2026-09
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025269kSep 2026
Construction employment in Illinois (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. Across the 91 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 136,127 in 2015 to 152,071 in 2025, +11.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
DuPage County1,89022,002$102,132$1,964
Cook County6,08049,027$97,576$1,876
Stephenson County68982$96,066$1,847
Will County1,22810,689$94,755$1,822
Saline County32371$91,633$1,762
Kane County1,1169,205$89,994$1,731
LaSalle County145950$89,622$1,723
Winnebago County3753,472$89,234$1,716
Lake County1,2438,568$86,971$1,673
Grundy County98759$85,203$1,639
Henry County70870$84,653$1,628
Hancock County12178$83,461$1,605

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

More on Illinois

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Illinois?

The median heavy equipment operator in Illinois earned $46.99 an hour ($97,740 a year) in May 2025, 63% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $33.28–$52.56; the top 10% earn more than $59.30.

Where does Illinois rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

Illinois ranks 2nd of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $46.99 an hour, and 2nd after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Illinois?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for heavy equipment operators in 102 counties, with a typical package of $75.85 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many heavy equipment operators work in Illinois?

BLS counted 12,290 heavy equipment operators in Illinois in May 2025, 2.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.66; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is heavy equipment operator work growing in Illinois?

The BLS employer survey count of heavy equipment operators in Illinois went from 10,470 in 2015 to 12,290 in 2025, +17.4%, and +14.0% since 2019. Illinois's labor market agency projects +4.5% growth for heavy equipment operators between 2024 and 2034, from 11,720 to 12,250 jobs.

How many heavy equipment operator openings a year are there in Illinois?

Illinois projects about 1,020 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, Illinois 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: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.