Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in New York

Median $38.94 an hour for 14,490 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$38.94/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$80,980/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.13 – $69.6710th to 90th percentilehourly range
14,490Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Heavy equipment operator pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrNew York: 10th $24.13 · 25th $29.11 · median $38.94 · 75th $54.29 · 90th $69.67New York$38.94$24.13$69.67United 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: New York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 6th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 11th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $36.09). 14,490 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$24.13 – $29.11$50,190 – $60,540roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$29.11 – $54.29$60,540 – $112,920the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$54.29 – $69.67$112,920 – $144,920the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrNew York City: $45.70New York City$45.70Albany: $39.68Albany$39.68Buffalo: $35.41Buffalo$35.41Poughkeepsie: $34.73Poughkeepsie$34.73Kingston: $33.83Kingston$33.83Elmira: $31.62Elmira$31.62Rochester: $31.60Rochester$31.60Syracuse: $30.68Syracuse$30.68Watertown: $29.97Watertown$29.97Utica: $29.94Utica$29.94Binghamton: $29.33Binghamton$29.33Glens Falls: $28.86Glens Falls$28.86
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
New York City$27.25$45.70$74.0611,43017% above
Albany$24.53$39.68$62.001,0002% above
Buffalo$23.64$35.41$55.079509% below
Poughkeepsie$27.41$34.73$58.3959011% below
Kingston$25.01$33.83$53.6715013% below
Elmira$17.79$31.62$56.637019% below
Rochester$22.50$31.60$54.2091019% below
Syracuse$23.74$30.68$58.3070021% below
Watertown$26.43$29.97$36.5619023% below
Utica$22.57$29.94$57.6920023% below
Binghamton$23.19$29.33$54.0633025% below
Glens Falls$22.69$28.86$55.0217026% below
Ithaca$16.71$26.36$44.395032% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$38.94New York$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.27$37.24$15.3112,870
2000$20.59$38.49$15.9913,770
2001$20.87$37.94$16.4213,870
2002$21.67$38.78$16.9414,020
2003$21.58$37.76$16.8412,860
2004$22.81$38.88$17.0012,600
2005$23.52$38.77$17.2313,090
2006$25.81$41.22$17.7414,230
2007$26.34$40.90$18.3314,640
2008$26.68$39.89$18.8814,730
2009$26.99$40.50$19.1214,370
2010$27.29$40.29$19.4213,920
2011$27.71$39.66$19.9613,980
2012$27.95$39.19$20.1313,460
2013$29.22$40.38$20.4513,400
2014$30.12$40.96$20.9212,990
2015$30.10$40.89$21.4412,750
2016$30.71$41.19$22.0611,940
2017$31.65$41.57$22.6112,520
2018$33.46$42.90$22.9813,160
2019$33.63$42.35$23.5513,960
2020$34.65$43.10$23.9312,960
2021$35.47$42.14$23.2514,290
2022$31.98$35.18$24.7313,250
2023$35.41$37.41$27.0014,850
2024$38.59$39.61$28.2314,700
2025$38.94$38.94$28.7814,490

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in New York changed by -4.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 44 of the 61 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $90.85 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $68.14). 1 of the 61 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Jefferson County at $51.60). The market median for the state is $38.94.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: $90.85 (union)Allegany: $68.14 (survey)Bronx: $131.27 (union)Broome: $90.85 (union)Cattaraugus: $68.14 (survey)Cayuga: $97.63 (union)Chautauqua: $68.14 (survey)Chemung: $76.11 (union)Chenango: $97.63 (union)Clinton: $68.14 (survey)Columbia: $97.63 (union)Cortland: $97.63 (union)Delaware: $97.63 (union)Dutchess: $99.22 (union)Erie: $79.63 (union)Essex: $68.14 (survey)Franklin: $68.14 (survey)Fulton: $68.14 (survey)Genesee: $68.14 (survey)Greene: $97.63 (union)Hamilton: $68.14 (survey)Herkimer: $87.35 (union)Jefferson: $51.60 (survey)Kings: $131.27 (union)Lewis: $68.14 (survey)Livingston: $76.11 (union)Madison: $79.96 (union)Monroe: $76.11 (union)Montgomery: $68.14 (survey)Nassau: $120.42 (union)New York: $131.27 (union)Niagara: $79.63 (union)Oneida: $77.84 (union)Onondaga: $79.96 (union)Ontario: $76.11 (union)Orange: $99.22 (union)Orleans: $79.63 (union)Oswego: $79.96 (union)Otsego: $97.63 (union)Putnam: $85.73 (union)Queens: $131.27 (union)Rensselaer: $90.85 (union)Richmond: $131.27 (union)Rockland: $99.22 (union)St. Lawrence: $68.14 (survey)Saratoga: $90.85 (union)Schenectady: $90.85 (union)Schoharie: $90.85 (union)Schuyler: $68.14 (survey)Seneca: $68.14 (survey)Steuben: $68.14 (survey)Suffolk: $120.42 (union)Sullivan: $97.63 (union)Tioga: $90.85 (union)Tompkins: $79.96 (union)Ulster: $99.22 (union)Warren: $90.85 (union)Washington: $90.85 (union)Wayne: —Westchester: $85.73 (union)Wyoming: $68.14 (survey)Yates: $77.54 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$68.14$79.63$90.85$97.63n/asurvey 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 (union)Prevailing (survey)$0$50$100$150/hrBronx (New York City): market median $45.70, prevailing (union) $131.27, gap +$85.57Bronx (New York City)+$85.57Ulster (Kingston): market median $33.83, prevailing (union) $99.22, gap +$65.39Ulster (Kingston)+$65.39Dutchess (Poughkeepsie): market median $34.73, prevailing (union) $99.22, gap +$64.49Dutchess (Poughkeepsie)+$64.49Warren (Glens Falls): market median $28.86, prevailing (union) $90.85, gap +$61.99Warren (Glens Falls)+$61.99Broome (Binghamton): market median $29.33, prevailing (union) $90.85, gap +$61.52Broome (Binghamton)+$61.52Herkimer (Utica): market median $29.94, prevailing (union) $87.35, gap +$57.41Herkimer (Utica)+$57.41Tompkins (Ithaca): market median $26.36, prevailing (union) $79.96, gap +$53.60Tompkins (Ithaca)+$53.60Albany (Albany): market median $39.68, prevailing (union) $90.85, gap +$51.17Albany (Albany)+$51.17Madison (Syracuse): market median $30.68, prevailing (union) $79.96, gap +$49.28Madison (Syracuse)+$49.28Orleans (Rochester): market median $31.60, prevailing (union) $79.63, gap +$48.03Orleans (Rochester)+$48.03Chemung (Elmira): market median $31.62, prevailing (union) $76.11, gap +$44.49Chemung (Elmira)+$44.49Erie (Buffalo): market median $35.41, prevailing (union) $79.63, gap +$44.22Erie (Buffalo)+$44.22Jefferson (Watertown): market median $29.97, prevailing (survey) $51.60, gap +$21.63Jefferson (Watertown)+$21.63
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in New York.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BronxUnion ENGI0014-002 2025-07-01$92.32$38.95$131.27NY20260003
KingsUnion ENGI0014-002 2025-07-01$92.32$38.95$131.27NY20260003
New YorkUnion ENGI0014-002 2025-07-01$92.32$38.95$131.27NY20260003
QueensUnion ENGI0014-002 2025-07-01$92.32$38.95$131.27NY20260003
RichmondUnion ENGI0014-002 2025-07-01$92.32$38.95$131.27NY20260003
NassauUnion ENGI0138-001 2025-06-01$80.43$39.99$120.42NY20260012
SuffolkUnion ENGI0138-001 2025-06-01$80.43$39.99$120.42NY20260012
DutchessUnion ENGI0825-007 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260007
OrangeUnion ENGI0825-007 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260007
RocklandUnion ENGI0825-012 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260020
UlsterUnion ENGI0825-007 2025-07-01$61.72$37.50$99.22NY20260007
CayugaUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$60.13$37.50$97.63NY20260101
ChenangoUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$60.13$37.50$97.63NY20260103
ColumbiaUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$60.13$37.50$97.63NY20260105
CortlandUnion ENGI0825-001 2025-07-01$60.13$37.50$97.63NY20260106

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

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.0kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-08
-1.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kAug 2026
Construction employment in New York (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
New York County17,505$112,347$2,161
Ontario County2,596$110,692$2,129
Albany County5,751$97,044$1,866
Queens County31,155$96,866$1,863
Rensselaer County1,684$93,618$1,800
Nassau County21,871$93,401$1,796
Bronx County6,727$91,769$1,765
Erie County13,400$88,790$1,707
Westchester County17,930$88,549$1,703
Onondaga County6,868$88,060$1,693
Cayuga County856$87,850$1,689
Herkimer County531$87,293$1,679

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in New York?

The median heavy equipment operator in New York earned $38.94 an hour ($80,980 a year) in May 2025, 35% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $29.11–$54.29; the top 10% earn more than $69.67.

Where does New York rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

New York ranks 6th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $38.94 an hour, and 11th after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for heavy equipment operators in 44 counties, with a typical package of $90.85 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many heavy equipment operators work in New York?

BLS counted 14,490 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in New York in May 2025, 1.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.49; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New York 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.