Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in Nebraska

Median $28.06 an hour for 3,180 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.06/hrMedian hourly wageNebraska, May data
$58,360/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.45 – $36.4010th to 90th percentilehourly range
3,180Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Heavy equipment operator pay in Nebraska: the full range

Wage percentiles, NebraskaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNebraska: 10th $21.45 · 25th $23.05 · median $28.06 · 75th $30.52 · 90th $36.40Nebraska$28.06$21.45$36.40United 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: Nebraska vs United States, May 2025.

Nebraska ranks 33rd of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 24th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.14). 3,180 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.45 – $23.05$44,620 – $47,940roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.05 – $30.52$47,940 – $63,480the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$30.52 – $36.40$63,480 – $75,700the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Nebraska

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrLincoln: $29.24Lincoln$29.24Omaha: $28.86Omaha$28.86Sioux City: $28.43Sioux City$28.43Grand Island: $26.45Grand Island$26.45
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in Nebraska, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Lincoln$21.91$29.24$35.264904% above
Omaha$22.54$28.86$37.461,3803% above
Sioux City$22.57$28.43$35.112001% above
Grand Island$20.25$26.45$32.991206% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in Nebraska over time

Nebraska, 1999-2025NebraskaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$28.78United States$28.06Nebraska
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, Nebraska vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNebraska $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.99$27.03$15.313,930
2000$14.47$27.05$15.993,060
2001$14.64$26.61$16.422,820
2002$14.90$26.66$16.942,450
2003$14.61$25.56$16.842,220
2004$14.11$24.05$17.002,690
2005$14.47$23.85$17.232,840
2006$15.17$24.23$17.743,200
2007$16.13$25.05$18.332,860
2008$15.13$22.62$18.883,480
2009$15.49$23.24$19.122,860
2010$15.78$23.30$19.422,500
2011$16.88$24.16$19.961,970
2012$17.03$23.88$20.132,140
2013$17.18$23.74$20.452,290
2014$17.69$24.06$20.922,460
2015$17.89$24.30$21.442,700
2016$18.45$24.75$22.062,370
2017$19.13$25.13$22.612,700
2018$19.81$25.40$22.982,850
2019$21.91$27.59$23.553,260
2020$22.70$28.24$23.932,890
2021$22.49$26.72$23.253,020
2022$22.98$25.28$24.733,080
2023$24.46$25.84$27.003,320
2024$27.52$28.24$28.233,180
2025$28.06$28.06$28.783,180

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Nebraska changed by +15.5% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in Nebraska

On federally funded construction in Nebraska, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 93 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $24.04). 93 of the 93 counties still use a survey rate dated 2012 or earlier (for example Adams County at $24.04). The market median for the state is $28.06.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NEAdams: $24.04 (survey)Antelope: $24.04 (survey)Arthur: $23.08 (survey)Banner: $23.08 (survey)Blaine: $24.04 (survey)Boone: $24.04 (survey)Box Butte: $23.08 (survey)Boyd: $24.04 (survey)Brown: $24.04 (survey)Buffalo: $24.04 (survey)Burt: $24.04 (survey)Butler: $24.04 (survey)Cass: $26.67 (survey)Cedar: $24.04 (survey)Chase: $23.08 (survey)Cherry: $23.08 (survey)Cheyenne: $23.08 (survey)Clay: $24.04 (survey)Colfax: $24.04 (survey)Cuming: $24.04 (survey)Custer: $24.04 (survey)Dakota: $25.61 (survey)Dawes: $23.08 (survey)Dawson: $23.08 (survey)Deuel: $23.08 (survey)Dixon: $25.61 (survey)Dodge: $24.04 (survey)Douglas: $28.27 (survey)Dundy: $23.08 (survey)Fillmore: $24.04 (survey)Franklin: $24.04 (survey)Frontier: $23.08 (survey)Furnas: $23.08 (survey)Gage: $24.04 (survey)Garden: $23.08 (survey)Garfield: $24.04 (survey)Gosper: $23.08 (survey)Grant: $23.08 (survey)Greeley: $24.04 (survey)Hall: $24.04 (survey)Hamilton: $24.04 (survey)Harlan: $24.04 (survey)Hayes: $23.08 (survey)Hitchcock: $23.08 (survey)Holt: $24.04 (survey)Hooker: $23.08 (survey)Howard: $24.04 (survey)Jefferson: $24.04 (survey)Johnson: $24.04 (survey)Kearney: $24.04 (survey)Keith: $23.08 (survey)Keya Paha: $24.04 (survey)Kimball: $23.08 (survey)Knox: $24.04 (survey)Lancaster: $25.61 (survey)Lincoln: $23.08 (survey)Logan: $23.08 (survey)Loup: $24.04 (survey)McPherson: $23.08 (survey)Madison: $24.04 (survey)Merrick: $24.04 (survey)Morrill: $23.08 (survey)Nance: $24.04 (survey)Nemaha: $24.04 (survey)Nuckolls: $24.04 (survey)Otoe: $24.04 (survey)Pawnee: $24.04 (survey)Perkins: $23.08 (survey)Phelps: $24.04 (survey)Pierce: $24.04 (survey)Platte: $24.04 (survey)Polk: $24.04 (survey)Red Willow: $23.08 (survey)Richardson: $24.04 (survey)Rock: $24.04 (survey)Saline: $24.04 (survey)Sarpy: $26.67 (survey)Saunders: $25.61 (survey)Scotts Bluff: $23.08 (survey)Seward: $25.61 (survey)Sheridan: $23.08 (survey)Sherman: $24.04 (survey)Sioux: $23.08 (survey)Stanton: $24.04 (survey)Thayer: $24.04 (survey)Thomas: $23.08 (survey)Thurston: $24.04 (survey)Valley: $24.04 (survey)Washington: $26.67 (survey)Wayne: $24.04 (survey)Webster: $24.04 (survey)Wheeler: $24.04 (survey)York: $24.04 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$24.04survey 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)$22$24$26$28$30/hrDouglas (Omaha): market median $28.86, prevailing (survey) $28.27, gap −$0.59Douglas (Omaha)−$0.59Hall (Grand Island): market median $26.45, prevailing (survey) $24.04, gap −$2.41Hall (Grand Island)−$2.41Dakota (Sioux City): market median $28.43, prevailing (survey) $25.61, gap −$2.82Dakota (Sioux City)−$2.82Lancaster (Lincoln): market median $29.24, prevailing (survey) $25.61, gap −$3.63Lancaster (Lincoln)−$3.63
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in Nebraska.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DouglasSurvey SUNE2011-031 2011-10-27$22.55$5.72$28.27NE20260057
CassSurvey SUNE2011-030 2011-10-27$21.20$5.47$26.67NE20260056
SarpySurvey SUNE2011-033 2011-10-27$21.20$5.47$26.67NE20260059
WashingtonSurvey SUNE2011-036 2011-10-27$21.20$5.47$26.67NE20260062
DakotaSurvey SUNE2011-037 2011-10-27$20.68$4.93$25.61NE20260063
DixonSurvey SUNE2011-037 2011-10-27$20.68$4.93$25.61NE20260063
LancasterSurvey SUNE2011-032 2011-10-27$20.68$4.93$25.61NE20260058
SaundersSurvey SUNE2011-034 2011-10-27$20.68$4.93$25.61NE20260060
SewardSurvey SUNE2011-035 2011-10-27$20.68$4.93$25.61NE20260061
AdamsSurvey SUNE2012-001 2012-04-19$21.82$2.22$24.04NE20260064
AntelopeSurvey SUNE2012-015 2012-04-19$21.82$2.22$24.04NE20260078
BlaineSurvey SUNE2012-017 2012-04-19$21.82$2.22$24.04NE20260080
BooneSurvey SUNE2012-002 2012-04-19$21.82$2.22$24.04NE20260065
BoydSurvey SUNE2012-015 2012-04-19$21.82$2.22$24.04NE20260078
BrownSurvey SUNE2012-015 2012-04-19$21.82$2.22$24.04NE20260078

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

Is construction work growing in Nebraska?

71.2kConstruction jobsNebraska, 2026-08
+6.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k20k40k60k80k1990199520002005201020152020202571kAug 2026
Construction employment in Nebraska (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
Sarpy County7,555$74,555$1,434
Douglas County14,088$73,877$1,421
Washington County558$70,250$1,351
Adams County671$69,388$1,334
Hamilton County220$67,950$1,307
Dodge County639$67,910$1,306
Lancaster County7,227$67,672$1,301
Lincoln County597$67,340$1,295
Platte County789$67,272$1,294
Merrick County117$66,920$1,287
Antelope County39$66,896$1,286
Phelps County177$64,452$1,239

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Nebraska

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Nebraska?

The median heavy equipment operator in Nebraska earned $28.06 an hour ($58,360 a year) in May 2025, 3% below the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $23.05–$30.52; the top 10% earn more than $36.40.

Where does Nebraska rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

Nebraska ranks 33rd of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $28.06 an hour, and 24th after adjusting for Nebraska's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Nebraska?

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

How many heavy equipment operators work in Nebraska?

BLS counted 3,180 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Nebraska in May 2025, 3.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.01; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Nebraska 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.