Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in Oregon

Median $35.30 an hour for 5,630 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$35.30/hrMedian hourly wageOregon, May data
$73,430/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$25.68 – $56.4010th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,630Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Heavy equipment operator pay in Oregon: the full range

Wage percentiles, OregonMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrOregon: 10th $25.68 · 25th $29.42 · median $35.30 · 75th $47.04 · 90th $56.40Oregon$35.30$25.68$56.40United 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: Oregon vs United States, May 2025.

Oregon ranks 14th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 14th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.14). 5,630 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$25.68 – $29.42$53,410 – $61,200roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$29.42 – $47.04$61,200 – $97,840the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$47.04 – $56.40$97,840 – $117,310the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Oregon

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPortland: $38.00Portland$38.00Salem: $35.71Salem$35.71Albany: $32.73Albany$32.73Bend: $32.46Bend$32.46Eugene: $31.44Eugene$31.44Grants Pass: $30.73Grants Pass$30.73Medford: $30.01Medford$30.01Corvallis: $29.70Corvallis$29.70
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in Oregon, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Portland$28.62$38.00$59.273,0408% above
Salem$27.16$35.71$56.407501% above
Albany$23.58$32.73$50.121507% below
Bend$28.83$32.46$50.975808% below
Eugene$25.17$31.44$47.0733011% below
Grants Pass$25.75$30.73$40.589013% below
Medford$24.45$30.01$47.2527015% below
Corvallis$24.46$29.70$38.036016% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in Oregon over time

Oregon, 1999-2025OregonUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$35.30Oregon$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, Oregon vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearOregon $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.57$35.89$15.314,270
2000$19.61$36.66$15.993,910
2001$19.13$34.78$16.424,270
2002$20.09$35.95$16.943,990
2003$19.46$34.05$16.843,520
2004$19.43$33.11$17.003,810
2005$20.36$33.56$17.233,230
2006$19.96$31.87$17.743,740
2007$20.98$32.58$18.334,070
2008$21.49$32.13$18.884,100
2009$22.56$33.85$19.123,690
2010$22.97$33.91$19.423,450
2011$24.47$35.02$19.963,690
2012$23.53$32.99$20.133,550
2013$24.10$33.31$20.453,980
2014$23.98$32.61$20.924,070
2015$24.63$33.46$21.443,920
2016$25.38$34.04$22.063,560
2017$25.73$33.79$22.613,770
2018$26.10$33.46$22.984,510
2019$27.40$34.50$23.554,960
2020$28.50$35.45$23.934,400
2021$28.62$34.00$23.254,480
2022$29.21$32.13$24.734,780
2023$30.43$32.15$27.004,660
2024$32.79$33.65$28.235,450
2025$35.30$35.30$28.785,630

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Oregon changed by +5.5% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in Oregon

On federally funded construction in Oregon, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 33 of the 36 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $71.65 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $53.91). The market median for the state is $35.30.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ORBaker: $71.65 (union)Benton: $53.91 (survey)Clackamas: $71.65 (union)Clatsop: $71.65 (union)Columbia: $71.65 (union)Coos: $71.65 (union)Crook: $71.65 (union)Curry: $71.65 (union)Deschutes: $71.65 (union)Douglas: $71.65 (union)Gilliam: $71.65 (union)Grant: $71.65 (union)Harney: $71.65 (union)Hood River: $71.65 (union)Jackson: $71.65 (union)Jefferson: $71.65 (union)Josephine: $71.65 (union)Klamath: $71.65 (union)Lake: $71.65 (union)Lane: $53.91 (survey)Lincoln: $71.65 (union)Linn: $53.91 (survey)Malheur: $71.65 (union)Marion: $71.65 (union)Morrow: $71.65 (union)Multnomah: $71.65 (union)Polk: $71.65 (union)Sherman: $71.65 (union)Tillamook: $71.65 (union)Umatilla: $71.65 (union)Union: $71.65 (union)Wallowa: $71.65 (union)Wasco: $71.65 (union)Washington: $71.65 (union)Wheeler: $71.65 (union)Yamhill: $71.65 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrsurvey 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)$20$40$60$80/hrJackson (Medford): market median $30.01, prevailing (union) $71.65, gap +$41.64Jackson (Medford)+$41.64Josephine (Grants Pass): market median $30.73, prevailing (union) $71.65, gap +$40.92Josephine (Grants Pass)+$40.92Crook (Bend): market median $32.46, prevailing (union) $71.65, gap +$39.19Crook (Bend)+$39.19Marion (Salem): market median $35.71, prevailing (union) $71.65, gap +$35.94Marion (Salem)+$35.94Clackamas (Portland): market median $38.00, prevailing (union) $71.65, gap +$33.65Clackamas (Portland)+$33.65Benton (Corvallis): market median $29.70, prevailing (survey) $53.91, gap +$24.21Benton (Corvallis)+$24.21Lane (Eugene): market median $31.44, prevailing (survey) $53.91, gap +$22.47Lane (Eugene)+$22.47Linn (Albany): market median $32.73, prevailing (survey) $53.91, gap +$21.18Linn (Albany)+$21.18
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in Oregon.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BakerUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260002
ClackamasUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260095
ClatsopUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260092
ColumbiaUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260096
CoosUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260082
CrookUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260083
CurryUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260084
DeschutesUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260097
DouglasUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260085
GilliamUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260093
GrantUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260093
HarneyUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260086
Hood RiverUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260087
JacksonUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260103
JeffersonUnion ENGI0701-006 2024-01-01$54.75$16.90$71.65OR20260093

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

Is construction work growing in Oregon?

118.8kConstruction jobsOregon, 2026-08
+2.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202625k50k75k100k125k150k19901995200020052010201520202025119kAug 2026
Construction employment in Oregon (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
Multnomah County14,421$103,962$1,999
Crook County632$94,024$1,808
Washington County12,297$90,996$1,750
Gilliam County35$84,448$1,624
Clackamas County9,697$84,334$1,622
Jefferson County131$79,914$1,537
Linn County2,210$79,045$1,520
Lake County42$78,899$1,517
Umatilla County877$76,733$1,476
Columbia County579$76,327$1,468
Marion County7,006$75,069$1,444
Yamhill County1,422$74,949$1,441

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Oregon

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Oregon?

The median heavy equipment operator in Oregon earned $35.30 an hour ($73,430 a year) in May 2025, 23% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $29.42–$47.04; the top 10% earn more than $56.40.

Where does Oregon rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

Oregon ranks 14th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $35.30 an hour, and 14th after adjusting for Oregon's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.4, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Oregon?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for heavy equipment operators in 33 counties, with a typical package of $71.65 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many heavy equipment operators work in Oregon?

BLS counted 5,630 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Oregon in May 2025, 2.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.93; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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