Skilled Wages

Heavy equipment operator salary in West Virginia

Median $24.66 an hour for 7,830 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$24.66/hrMedian hourly wageWest Virginia, May data
$51,300/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.55 – $37.0110th to 90th percentilehourly range
7,830Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Heavy equipment operator pay in West Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, West VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrWest Virginia: 10th $17.55 · 25th $20.49 · median $24.66 · 75th $29.66 · 90th $37.01West Virginia$24.66$17.55$37.01United 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: West Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

West Virginia ranks 42nd of 51 states for median heavy equipment operator pay, and 38th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.55). 7,830 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.55 – $20.49$36,500 – $42,630roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$20.49 – $29.66$42,630 – $61,690the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$29.66 – $37.01$61,690 – $76,970the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Heavy equipment operator pay by metro in West Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrWashington DC: $29.64Washington DC$29.64Beckley: $28.70Beckley$28.70Wheeling: $28.01Wheeling$28.01Charleston: $27.71Charleston$27.71Huntington: $27.56Huntington$27.56Morgantown: $25.46Morgantown$25.46Weirton: $24.66Weirton$24.66Hagerstown: $24.43Hagerstown$24.43Winchester: $24.42Winchester$24.42Parkersburg: $22.81Parkersburg$22.81
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators by metro area in West Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$22.39$29.64$40.476,45020% above
Beckley$17.66$28.70$30.9848016% above
Wheeling$18.76$28.01$44.4350014% above
Charleston$18.00$27.71$37.2594012% above
Huntington$18.16$27.56$45.141,04012% above
Morgantown$17.55$25.46$36.485303% above
Weirton$18.76$24.66$45.13310about the same as
Hagerstown$19.24$24.43$32.143801% below
Winchester$18.76$24.42$30.032601% below
Parkersburg$15.49$22.81$29.663308% below

Heavy equipment operator wages in West Virginia over time

West Virginia, 1999-2025West VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$28.78United States$24.66West Virginia
Median hourly wage for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, West Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWest Virginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.08$31.07$15.312,210
2000$12.14$22.70$15.994,820
2001$12.86$23.38$16.425,390
2002$13.53$24.21$16.944,880
2003$13.75$24.06$16.845,480
2004$15.14$25.80$17.005,820
2005$15.20$25.06$17.236,900
2006$14.52$23.19$17.747,320
2007$15.28$23.73$18.337,360
2008$16.35$24.45$18.887,540
2009$18.46$27.70$19.127,750
2010$17.15$25.32$19.427,360
2011$17.75$25.40$19.967,420
2012$19.50$27.34$20.136,980
2013$20.37$28.15$20.456,200
2014$20.52$27.91$20.926,470
2015$21.39$29.05$21.446,160
2016$19.17$25.71$22.066,360
2017$18.93$24.86$22.616,150
2018$19.36$24.82$22.986,690
2019$21.48$27.05$23.558,820
2020$19.09$23.75$23.937,460
2021$22.53$26.77$23.256,570
2022$23.20$25.52$24.737,320
2023$22.75$24.04$27.006,810
2024$24.04$24.67$28.237,940
2025$24.66$24.66$28.787,830

In today's dollars, the median heavy equipment operator wage in West Virginia changed by -15.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for heavy equipment operators in West Virginia

On federally funded construction in West Virginia, contractors must pay heavy equipment operators at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 44 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $67.26 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $28.87). 11 of the 55 counties still use a survey rate dated 2012 or earlier (for example Berkeley County at $28.87). The market median for the state is $24.66.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WVBarbour: $67.26 (union)Berkeley: $28.87 (survey)Boone: $67.26 (union)Braxton: $67.26 (union)Brooke: $28.87 (survey)Cabell: $67.26 (union)Calhoun: $67.26 (union)Clay: $67.26 (union)Doddridge: $67.26 (union)Fayette: $67.26 (union)Gilmer: $67.26 (union)Grant: $67.26 (union)Greenbrier: $67.26 (union)Hampshire: $28.87 (survey)Hancock: $28.87 (survey)Hardy: $67.26 (union)Harrison: $67.26 (union)Jackson: $67.26 (union)Jefferson: $28.87 (survey)Kanawha: $67.26 (union)Lewis: $67.26 (union)Lincoln: $67.26 (union)Logan: $67.26 (union)McDowell: $67.26 (union)Marion: $67.26 (union)Marshall: $28.87 (survey)Mason: $67.26 (union)Mercer: $67.26 (union)Mineral: $28.87 (survey)Mingo: $67.26 (union)Monongalia: $28.87 (survey)Monroe: $67.26 (union)Morgan: $28.87 (survey)Nicholas: $67.26 (union)Ohio: $28.87 (survey)Pendleton: $67.26 (union)Pleasants: $67.26 (union)Pocahontas: $67.26 (union)Preston: $28.87 (survey)Putnam: $67.26 (union)Raleigh: $67.26 (union)Randolph: $67.26 (union)Ritchie: $67.26 (union)Roane: $67.26 (union)Summers: $67.26 (union)Taylor: $67.26 (union)Tucker: $67.26 (union)Tyler: $67.26 (union)Upshur: $67.26 (union)Wayne: $67.26 (union)Webster: $67.26 (union)Wetzel: $67.26 (union)Wirt: $67.26 (union)Wood: $67.26 (union)Wyoming: $67.26 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$59.58survey 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$20$40$60$80/hrWirt (Parkersburg): market median $22.81, prevailing (union) $67.26, gap +$44.45Wirt (Parkersburg)+$44.45Cabell (Huntington): market median $27.56, prevailing (union) $67.26, gap +$39.70Cabell (Huntington)+$39.70Boone (Charleston): market median $27.71, prevailing (union) $67.26, gap +$39.55Boone (Charleston)+$39.55Fayette (Beckley): market median $28.70, prevailing (union) $67.26, gap +$38.56Fayette (Beckley)+$38.56Hampshire (Winchester): market median $24.42, prevailing (survey) $28.87, gap +$4.45Hampshire (Winchester)+$4.45Berkeley (Hagerstown): market median $24.43, prevailing (survey) $28.87, gap +$4.44Berkeley (Hagerstown)+$4.44Brooke (Weirton): market median $24.66, prevailing (survey) $28.87, gap +$4.21Brooke (Weirton)+$4.21Monongalia (Morgantown): market median $25.46, prevailing (survey) $28.87, gap +$3.41Monongalia (Morgantown)+$3.41Marshall (Wheeling): market median $28.01, prevailing (survey) $28.87, gap +$0.86Marshall (Wheeling)+$0.86Jefferson (Washington DC): market median $29.64, prevailing (survey) $28.87, gap −$0.77Jefferson (Washington DC)−$0.77
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for heavy equipment operators, metro counties in West Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BarbourUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260033
BooneUnion ENGI0132-011 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260049
BraxtonUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260004
CabellUnion ENGI0132-010 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260035
CalhounUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260033
ClayUnion ENGI0132-011 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260049
DoddridgeUnion ENGI0132-006 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260005
FayetteUnion ENGI0132-008 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260006
GilmerUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260007
GrantUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260008
GreenbrierUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260009
HardyUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260010
HarrisonUnion ENGI0132-006 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260011
JacksonUnion ENGI0132-007 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260012
KanawhaUnion ENGI0132-011 2024-12-01$45.21$22.05$67.26WV20260038

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

Is construction work growing in West Virginia?

36.1kConstruction jobsWest Virginia, 2026-08
-1.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202536kAug 2026
Construction employment in West Virginia (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
McDowell County12$83,385$1,604
Brooke County143$82,021$1,577
Putnam County1,081$81,436$1,566
Cabell County1,328$76,653$1,474
Marshall County328$76,068$1,463
Kanawha County2,097$75,814$1,458
Mineral County205$72,925$1,402
Harrison County1,125$72,447$1,393
Lewis County291$72,256$1,390
Wood County1,098$72,016$1,385
Wetzel County182$71,927$1,383
Monongalia County1,370$71,329$1,372

Keep comparing

Heavy equipment operator pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in West Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do heavy equipment operators make in West Virginia?

The median heavy equipment operator in West Virginia earned $24.66 an hour ($51,300 a year) in May 2025, 14% below the national median of $28.78. The middle half earn $20.49–$29.66; the top 10% earn more than $37.01.

Where does West Virginia rank for heavy equipment operator pay?

West Virginia ranks 42nd of 51 states for heavy equipment operator pay, with a median of $24.66 an hour, and 38th after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).

What is the union heavy equipment operator rate in West Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for heavy equipment operators in 44 counties, with a typical package of $67.26 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many heavy equipment operators work in West Virginia?

BLS counted 7,830 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in West Virginia in May 2025, 11.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 3.63; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, West Virginia 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.