Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in North Dakota

Median $29.88 an hour for 4,890 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.88/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Dakota, May data
$62,150/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.96 – $48.3510th to 90th percentilehourly range
4,890Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Heavy equipment operator pay in North Dakota: the full range

Wage percentiles, North DakotaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNorth Dakota: 10th $23.96 · 25th $27.97 · median $29.88 · 75th $36.75 · 90th $48.35North Dakota$29.88$23.96$48.35United 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: North Dakota vs United States, May 2025.

North Dakota ranks 22nd of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 16th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.57). 4,890 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.96 – $27.97$49,840 – $58,180roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$27.97 – $36.75$58,180 – $76,430the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.75 – $48.35$76,430 – $100,570the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in North Dakota

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrMinot: $30.29Minot$30.29Bismarck: $29.88Bismarck$29.88Fargo: $29.66Fargo$29.66Grand Forks: $29.58Grand Forks$29.58
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in North Dakota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Minot$24.51$30.29$42.582901% above
Bismarck$23.09$29.88$41.96580about the same as
Fargo$23.25$29.66$39.229601% below
Grand Forks$23.56$29.58$45.953701% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in North Dakota over time

North Dakota, 1999-2025North DakotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.88North Dakota$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, North Dakota vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Dakota $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.97$28.93$15.311,900
2000$15.56$29.09$15.991,710
2001$15.81$28.74$16.422,040
2002$16.03$28.69$16.941,590
2003$16.22$28.38$16.841,680
2004$15.55$26.50$17.002,290
2005$16.34$26.94$17.232,240
2006$17.16$27.40$17.742,200
2007$17.81$27.65$18.332,500
2008$17.72$26.50$18.882,790
2009$20.47$30.72$19.122,350
2010$21.64$31.95$19.422,210
2011$22.01$31.50$19.962,430
2012$21.88$30.68$20.132,960
2013$22.38$30.93$20.454,060
2014$24.45$33.25$20.924,420
2015$25.60$34.77$21.444,690
2016$27.05$36.28$22.063,640
2017$27.26$35.80$22.613,060
2018$26.51$33.99$22.982,980
2019$26.37$33.21$23.553,650
2020$26.53$33.00$23.933,760
2021$28.73$34.13$23.253,410
2022$28.52$31.37$24.733,920
2023$29.82$31.51$27.003,880
2024$30.17$30.96$28.234,690
2025$29.88$29.88$28.784,890

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in North Dakota changed by -14.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in North Dakota

On federally funded construction in North Dakota, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 53 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $26.48). 53 of the 53 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Adams County at $26.48). The market median for the state is $29.88.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NDAdams: $26.48 (survey)Barnes: $26.48 (survey)Benson: $26.48 (survey)Billings: $26.48 (survey)Bottineau: $26.97 (survey)Bowman: $26.48 (survey)Burke: $26.97 (survey)Burleigh: $27.06 (survey)Cass: $29.82 (survey)Cavalier: $26.48 (survey)Dickey: $26.48 (survey)Divide: $26.48 (survey)Dunn: $26.48 (survey)Eddy: $26.48 (survey)Emmons: $26.48 (survey)Foster: $26.48 (survey)Golden Valley: $26.48 (survey)Grand Forks: $29.82 (survey)Grant: $26.48 (survey)Griggs: $26.48 (survey)Hettinger: $26.48 (survey)Kidder: $26.48 (survey)LaMoure: $26.48 (survey)Logan: $26.48 (survey)McHenry: $26.97 (survey)McIntosh: $26.48 (survey)McKenzie: $26.48 (survey)McLean: $26.97 (survey)Mercer: $26.97 (survey)Morton: $27.06 (survey)Mountrail: $26.97 (survey)Nelson: $26.48 (survey)Oliver: $27.06 (survey)Pembina: $26.48 (survey)Pierce: $26.97 (survey)Ramsey: $26.48 (survey)Ransom: $26.48 (survey)Renville: $26.97 (survey)Richland: $26.48 (survey)Rolette: $26.48 (survey)Sargent: $26.48 (survey)Sheridan: $26.97 (survey)Sioux: $27.06 (survey)Slope: $26.48 (survey)Stark: $26.48 (survey)Steele: $26.48 (survey)Stutsman: $26.48 (survey)Towner: $26.48 (survey)Traill: $26.48 (survey)Walsh: $26.48 (survey)Ward: $23.03 (survey)Wells: $26.48 (survey)Williams: $26.48 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$26.48$26.97survey 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)$26$27$28$29$30$31/hrGrand Forks (Grand Forks): market median $29.58, prevailing (survey) $29.82, gap +$0.24Grand Forks (Grand Forks)+$0.24Cass (Fargo): market median $29.66, prevailing (survey) $29.82, gap +$0.16Cass (Fargo)+$0.16Burleigh (Bismarck): market median $29.88, prevailing (survey) $27.06, gap −$2.82Burleigh (Bismarck)−$2.82McHenry (Minot): market median $30.29, prevailing (survey) $26.97, gap −$3.32McHenry (Minot)−$3.32
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in North Dakota.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CassSurvey SUND2012-002 2014-08-18$26.00$3.82$29.82ND20260013
Grand ForksSurvey SUND2012-003 2014-08-18$26.00$3.82$29.82ND20260014
BurleighSurvey SUND2012-001 2014-08-18$23.06$4.00$27.06ND20260012
MortonSurvey SUND2012-004 2014-08-18$23.06$4.00$27.06ND20260015
OliverSurvey SUND2012-005 2014-08-18$23.06$4.00$27.06ND20260016
SiouxSurvey SUND2012-006 2014-08-18$23.06$4.00$27.06ND20260017
BottineauSurvey SUND2012-010 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260021
BurkeSurvey SUND2012-024 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260035
McHenrySurvey SUND2012-024 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260035
McLeanSurvey SUND2012-012 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260023
MercerSurvey SUND2012-013 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260024
MountrailSurvey SUND2012-014 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260025
PierceSurvey SUND2012-024 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260035
RenvilleSurvey SUND2012-017 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260028
SheridanSurvey SUND2012-024 2014-08-18$22.97$4.00$26.97ND20260035

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

Is construction work growing in North Dakota?

35.1kConstruction jobsNorth Dakota, 2026-08
+2.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202535kAug 2026
Construction employment in North Dakota (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
Dickey County672$113,607$2,185
Williams County1,317$103,672$1,994
Dunn County149$103,085$1,982
McKenzie County576$102,677$1,975
Mercer County185$98,994$1,904
Traill County153$92,980$1,788
Stark County1,030$88,688$1,706
Mountrail County295$81,311$1,564
Morton County670$76,303$1,467
Billings County136$76,153$1,464
Cass County5,965$74,363$1,430
Grand Forks County1,568$73,468$1,413

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Dakota

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in North Dakota?

The median heavy equipment operator in North Dakota earned $29.88 an hour ($62,150 a year) in May 2025, 4% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $27.97–$36.75; the top 10% earn more than $48.35.

Where does North Dakota rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

North Dakota ranks 22nd of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $29.88 an hour, and 16th after adjusting for North Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.0, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in North Dakota?

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

How many heavy equipment operators work in North Dakota?

BLS counted 4,890 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in North Dakota in May 2025, 11.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 3.70; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, North Dakota 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.