Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in Nevada

Median $34.33 an hour for 5,410 heavy equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$34.33/hrMedian hourly wageNevada, May data
$71,410/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.55 – $53.4610th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,410Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

Heavy equipment operator pay in Nevada: the full range

Wage percentiles, NevadaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNevada: 10th $24.55 · 25th $29.19 · median $34.33 · 75th $43.29 · 90th $53.46Nevada$34.33$24.55$53.46United 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: Nevada vs United States, May 2025.

Nevada ranks 15th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 13th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.33). 5,410 heavy equipment operators work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.2× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$24.55 – $29.19$51,050 – $60,710roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$29.19 – $43.29$60,710 – $90,030the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$43.29 – $53.46$90,030 – $111,210the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Nevada

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrReno: $35.22Reno$35.22Carson City: $31.16Carson City$31.16Las Vegas: $30.73Las Vegas$30.73
Median hourly wage for heavy equipment operators by metro area in Nevada, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Reno$26.35$35.22$34.87$51.991,2903% above
Carson City$23.93$31.16$31.76$38.06809% below
Las Vegas$23.47$30.73$30.67$58.402,46010% below

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

Heavy equipment operator wages in Nevada over time

Nevada, 1999-2025NevadaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$34.33Nevada$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for heavy equipment operators, Nevada vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNevada $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.26$37.22$15.315,090
2000$19.98$37.35$15.994,300
2001$20.97$38.12$16.425,060
2002$21.08$37.72$16.944,620
2003$20.59$36.03$16.843,660
2004$21.28$36.27$17.004,320
2005$20.70$34.12$17.234,800
2006$21.98$35.10$17.745,440
2007$22.98$35.68$18.335,400
2008$24.30$36.34$18.884,110
2009$25.02$37.55$19.123,250
2010$24.82$36.64$19.422,690
2011$26.93$38.54$19.962,710
2012$25.17$35.29$20.132,470
2013$25.91$35.81$20.452,090
2014$26.04$35.41$20.922,230
2015$26.24$35.64$21.442,470
2016$26.43$35.45$22.062,560
2017$26.13$34.32$22.612,970
2018$26.60$34.10$22.983,420
2019$25.56$32.19$23.554,060
2020$24.64$30.65$23.934,980
2021$28.61$33.99$23.254,200
2022$28.89$31.78$24.734,330
2023$32.71$34.56$27.006,040
2024$34.99$35.91$28.235,760
2025$34.33$34.33$28.785,410

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Nevada changed by -3.7% over the last ten years of data and by +6.7% since 2019.

Are there more heavy equipment operator jobs in Nevada?

+33.3%Jobs since 20194,060 then, 5,410 in 2025
+119.0%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
3.5Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.1× the US share, 27th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of heavy equipment operators counted in Nevada has changed by +6.3%, against +47.4% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +33.3%.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Nevada vs United States, 1999 = 100NevadaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages050100150200200020052010201520202025147United States106Nevada
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Nevada vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearNevada jobsNevada indexUS index
19995,090100100
20004,30084103
20015,06099109
20024,62091106
20033,66072106
20044,32085110
20054,80094117
20065,440107121
20075,400106124
20084,11081123
20093,25064114
20102,69053103
20112,71053103
20122,47048103
20132,09041105
20142,23044106
20152,47048110
20162,56050110
20172,97058113
20183,42067118
20194,06080125
20204,98098124
20214,20082125
20224,33085130
20236,040119139
20245,760113145
20255,410106147

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 Nevada

+11.3%Projected growth in Nevada2024–2034, state agency
540Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
5,630Jobs in 20246,270 projected for 2034
+4.6%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Nevada's labor market agency projects the number of heavy equipment operators in the state to change by +11.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 5,630 to 6,270, with about 540 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +4.6% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 5,410 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Nevada 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 Nevada

On federally funded construction in Nevada, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 17 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $83.63). The market median for the state is $34.33.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NVChurchill: $83.63 (survey)Clark: $106.16 (survey)Douglas: $83.63 (survey)Elko: $83.63 (survey)Esmeralda: $106.16 (survey)Eureka: $83.63 (survey)Humboldt: $83.63 (survey)Lander: $83.63 (survey)Lincoln: $106.16 (survey)Lyon: $83.63 (survey)Mineral: $83.63 (survey)Nye: $106.16 (survey)Pershing: $83.63 (survey)Storey: $83.63 (survey)Washoe: $83.63 (survey)White Pine: $83.63 (survey)Carson City: $83.63 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$101.65survey 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)$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrClark (Las Vegas): market median $30.73, prevailing (survey) $106.16, gap +$75.43Clark (Las Vegas)+$75.43Carson City (Carson City): market median $31.16, prevailing (survey) $83.63, gap +$52.47Carson City (Carson City)+$52.47Lyon (Reno): market median $35.22, prevailing (survey) $83.63, gap +$48.41Lyon (Reno)+$48.41
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in Nevada.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Clarkstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$65.47$40.69$106.16NV20260091
Esmeraldastate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$65.47$40.69$106.16NV20260085
Lincolnstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$65.47$40.69$106.16NV20260080
Nyestate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$65.47$40.69$106.16NV20260082
Churchillstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260077
Douglasstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260078
Elkostate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260083
Eurekastate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260084
Humboldtstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260079
Landerstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260086
Lyonstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260081
Mineralstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260087
Pershingstate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260088
Storeystate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260092
Washoestate SANV2025-001 2025-10-01$54.03$29.60$83.63NV20260093

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Nevada prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Nevada?

116.9kConstruction jobsNevada, 2026-09
+1.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025117kSep 2026
Construction employment in Nevada (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 11 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 50,949 in 2015 to 81,218 in 2025, +59.4%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Storey County37852$114,129$2,195
Elko County74910$93,528$1,799
Carson City1331,509$87,803$1,689
Churchill County34481$82,027$1,577
Washoe County1,09116,449$79,003$1,519
Clark County2,99958,383$77,825$1,497
White Pine County14120$77,470$1,490
Humboldt County24115$71,264$1,370
Douglas County1481,067$70,253$1,351
Lyon County104770$66,608$1,281
Lincoln County646$64,369$1,238
Nye County68562$56,675$1,090

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Nevada

More on Nevada

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Nevada?

The median heavy equipment operator in Nevada earned $34.33 an hour ($71,410 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $29.19–$43.29; the top 10% earn more than $53.46.

Where does Nevada rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

Nevada ranks 15th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $34.33 an hour, and 13th after adjusting for Nevada's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Nevada?

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

How many heavy equipment operators work in Nevada?

BLS counted 5,410 heavy equipment operators in Nevada in May 2025, 3.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.13; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is heavy equipment operator work growing in Nevada?

The BLS employer survey count of heavy equipment operators in Nevada went from 2,470 in 2015 to 5,410 in 2025, +119.0%, and +33.3% since 2019. Nevada's labor market agency projects +11.3% growth for heavy equipment operators between 2024 and 2034, from 5,630 to 6,270 jobs.

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

Nevada projects about 540 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, Nevada 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: Nevada labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.