Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in Utah

Median $29.20 an hour for 7,880 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.20/hrMedian hourly wageUtah, May data
$60,740/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.80 – $36.4810th to 90th percentilehourly range
7,880Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Heavy equipment operator pay in Utah: the full range

Wage percentiles, UtahMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrUtah: 10th $22.80 · 25th $24.91 · median $29.20 · 75th $31.46 · 90th $36.48Utah$29.20$22.80$36.48United 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: Utah vs United States, May 2025.

Utah ranks 26th of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 29th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.52). 7,880 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.80 – $24.91$47,420 – $51,800roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.91 – $31.46$51,800 – $65,430the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$31.46 – $36.48$65,430 – $75,880the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in Utah

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrSalt Lake City: $29.69Salt Lake City$29.69Ogden: $28.96Ogden$28.96Provo: $28.79Provo$28.79St. George: $27.84St. George$27.84Logan: $27.39Logan$27.39
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in Utah, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Salt Lake City$23.54$29.69$37.702,5702% above
Ogden$23.11$28.96$35.941,1601% below
Provo$22.84$28.79$35.511,4401% below
St. George$22.14$27.84$34.676705% below
Logan$21.62$27.39$35.351806% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in Utah over time

Utah, 1999-2025UtahUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.20Utah$28.78United States
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, Utah vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearUtah $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.83$28.66$15.313,180
2000$15.53$29.03$15.994,000
2001$15.78$28.69$16.424,010
2002$16.00$28.63$16.943,660
2003$16.41$28.71$16.844,260
2004$16.01$27.29$17.003,760
2005$16.17$26.66$17.233,960
2006$16.82$26.86$17.744,220
2007$16.86$26.18$18.335,710
2008$17.86$26.71$18.885,450
2009$18.56$27.85$19.124,970
2010$19.60$28.94$19.425,210
2011$21.19$30.33$19.967,630
2012$21.42$30.04$20.137,810
2013$21.66$29.93$20.457,140
2014$19.47$26.48$20.924,990
2015$20.29$27.56$21.445,330
2016$20.87$27.99$22.064,920
2017$21.94$28.82$22.614,570
2018$22.34$28.64$22.984,110
2019$22.62$28.48$23.554,330
2020$22.67$28.20$23.934,390
2021$23.09$27.43$23.254,700
2022$25.57$28.13$24.735,460
2023$27.78$29.35$27.006,650
2024$28.73$29.49$28.236,320
2025$29.20$29.20$28.787,880

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in Utah changed by +6.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in Utah

On federally funded construction in Utah, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 29 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $17.38). 29 of the 29 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Beaver County at $17.38). The market median for the state is $29.20.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, UTBeaver: $17.38 (survey)Box Elder: $16.92 (survey)Cache: $16.92 (survey)Carbon: $17.38 (survey)Daggett: $17.38 (survey)Davis: $16.92 (survey)Duchesne: $17.38 (survey)Emery: $17.38 (survey)Garfield: $17.20 (survey)Grand: $17.38 (survey)Iron: $17.38 (survey)Juab: $16.92 (survey)Kane: $17.38 (survey)Millard: $17.38 (survey)Morgan: $16.92 (survey)Piute: $17.38 (survey)Rich: $17.38 (survey)Salt Lake: $14.48 (survey)San Juan: $17.38 (survey)Sanpete: $17.38 (survey)Sevier: $17.38 (survey)Summit: $17.38 (survey)Tooele: $14.48 (survey)Uintah: $17.38 (survey)Utah: $16.92 (survey)Wasatch: $17.38 (survey)Washington: $16.92 (survey)Wayne: $17.38 (survey)Weber: $16.92 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$16.92survey 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)$10$15$20$25$30$35/hrCache (Logan): market median $27.39, prevailing (survey) $16.92, gap −$10.47Cache (Logan)−$10.47Washington (St. George): market median $27.84, prevailing (survey) $16.92, gap −$10.92Washington (St. George)−$10.92Juab (Provo): market median $28.79, prevailing (survey) $16.92, gap −$11.87Juab (Provo)−$11.87Davis (Ogden): market median $28.96, prevailing (survey) $16.92, gap −$12.04Davis (Ogden)−$12.04Salt Lake (Salt Lake City): market median $29.69, prevailing (survey) $14.48, gap −$15.21Salt Lake (Salt Lake City)−$15.21
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in Utah.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BeaverSurvey SUUT2012-001 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260069
CarbonSurvey SUUT2012-002 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260070
DaggettSurvey SUUT2012-011 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260079
DuchesneSurvey SUUT2012-011 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260079
EmerySurvey SUUT2012-012 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260080
GrandSurvey SUUT2012-004 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260072
IronSurvey SUUT2012-005 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260073
KaneSurvey SUUT2012-012 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260080
MillardSurvey SUUT2012-012 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260080
PiuteSurvey SUUT2012-006 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260074
RichSurvey SUUT2012-011 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260079
San JuanSurvey SUUT2012-007 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260075
SanpeteSurvey SUUT2012-008 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260076
SevierSurvey SUUT2012-012 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260080
SummitSurvey SUUT2012-011 2014-07-29$16.59$0.79$17.38UT20260079

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

Is construction work growing in Utah?

148.6kConstruction jobsUtah, 2026-08
+2.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025149kAug 2026
Construction employment in Utah (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
Box Elder County1,523$76,498$1,471
Utah County22,517$75,667$1,455
Salt Lake County38,556$74,339$1,430
Uintah County1,261$70,283$1,352
Carbon County276$69,011$1,327
Summit County1,507$67,319$1,295
Davis County8,259$66,282$1,275
Duchesne County392$65,283$1,255
Weber County6,055$63,127$1,214
Emery County165$63,062$1,213
Millard County152$61,610$1,185
Morgan County599$58,888$1,132

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Utah

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Utah?

The median heavy equipment operator in Utah earned $29.20 an hour ($60,740 a year) in May 2025, 1% above the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $24.91–$31.46; the top 10% earn more than $36.48.

Where does Utah rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

Utah ranks 26th of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $29.20 an hour, and 29th after adjusting for Utah's cost of living (BEA price parity 98.9, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in Utah?

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

How many heavy equipment operators work in Utah?

BLS counted 7,880 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Utah in May 2025, 4.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.48; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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