Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties. Excludes "Crane and Tower Operators" (53-7021) and "Extraction Workers" (47-5000).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
335,410 1.0 % $21.98 $45,720 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.85 $15.65 $19.96 $26.94 $34.78
Annual Wage (2) $26,730 $32,550 $41,510 $56,040 $72,350


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 76,970 14.41 $21.84 $45,420
Local Government (OES Designation) 53,810 0.97 $19.53 $40,620
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 42,220 14.21 $24.57 $51,110
Utility System Construction 40,060 10.10 $23.32 $48,510
State Government (OES Designation) 14,330 0.63 $17.01 $35,380

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 76,970 14.41 $21.84 $45,420
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 42,220 14.21 $24.57 $51,110
Coal Mining 10,690 12.81 $22.40 $46,600
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 11,990 12.32 $23.61 $49,100
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 9,740 10.84 $19.52 $40,600

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 150 0.02 $32.21 $66,990
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 150 (7) $32.02 $66,590
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 2,120 0.54 $27.77 $57,760
Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing 150 0.19 $27.09 $56,350
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 360 0.03 $26.91 $55,970


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 32,480 3.15 1.21 $17.33 $36,050
Pennsylvania 21,700 3.91 1.50 $21.88 $45,510
California 20,890 1.49 0.57 $31.09 $64,660
New York 13,980 1.66 0.63 $31.00 $64,470
Florida 12,820 1.79 0.69 $17.92 $37,280




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 5,600 20.54 7.86 $23.04 $47,930
West Virginia 7,420 10.60 4.05 $19.35 $40,240
Alaska 2,680 8.57 3.28 $29.88 $62,160
Utah 7,630 6.55 2.50 $21.10 $43,880
North Dakota 2,430 6.54 2.50 $23.82 $49,540




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 1,680 2.91 1.11 $33.22 $69,090
California 20,890 1.49 0.57 $31.09 $64,660
New York 13,980 1.66 0.63 $31.00 $64,470
New Jersey 4,590 1.22 0.47 $30.85 $64,180
Alaska 2,680 8.57 3.28 $29.88 $62,160





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 9,860 3.86 1.48 $19.14 $39,810
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,080 1.42 0.54 $32.84 $68,320
Pittsburgh, PA 5,070 4.55 1.74 $22.71 $47,240
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 5,040 1.00 0.38 $41.17 $85,630
Salt Lake City, UT 4,460 7.40 2.83 $22.18 $46,130
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 4,200 1.89 0.72 $16.99 $35,340
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,100 1.77 0.68 $23.64 $49,170
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 3,580 1.97 0.76 $27.43 $57,050
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 3,580 2.11 0.81 $23.06 $47,970
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,410 1.99 0.76 $27.66 $57,530




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Charleston, WV 2,070 14.45 5.53 $22.05 $45,860
Farmington, NM 560 11.64 4.45 $19.13 $39,800
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 940 10.40 3.98 $18.61 $38,710
Odessa, TX 560 9.09 3.48 $21.64 $45,020
Fairbanks, AK 320 8.97 3.43 $29.70 $61,780
State College, PA 580 8.77 3.35 $17.62 $36,650
Midland, TX 600 8.61 3.29 $16.37 $34,050
Cheyenne, WY 340 7.98 3.05 $19.89 $41,360
Morgantown, WV 460 7.72 2.95 $18.57 $38,630
Salt Lake City, UT 4,460 7.40 2.83 $22.18 $46,130




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 5,040 1.00 0.38 $41.17 $85,630
Yuba City, CA 60 1.62 0.62 $38.01 $79,060
Honolulu, HI 1,050 2.46 0.94 $37.37 $77,720
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 140 1.08 0.41 $35.97 $74,810
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 3,130 0.82 0.31 $34.65 $72,080
Bellingham, WA 190 2.60 1.00 $34.21 $71,160
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 1,990 1.64 0.63 $34.00 $70,720
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 2,230 2.34 0.90 $33.98 $70,680
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 1,410 1.15 0.44 $33.26 $69,190
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 550 1.92 0.73 $33.24 $69,150

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 3,400 69.94 26.75 $24.55 $51,050
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 3,240 8.50 3.25 $14.90 $30,990
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 3,140 27.02 10.34 $17.98 $37,400
North Central West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 1,880 13.65 5.22 $17.41 $36,220
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 1,870 11.73 4.49 $19.19 $39,910

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 3,400 69.94 26.75 $24.55 $51,050
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 3,140 27.02 10.34 $17.98 $37,400
West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 930 16.69 6.38 $28.03 $58,300
Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 580 16.11 6.16 $23.16 $48,170
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,090 15.23 5.82 $28.88 $60,080

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 180 1.94 0.74 $32.16 $66,890
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 740 5.40 2.06 $29.93 $62,260
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 320 9.24 3.53 $28.93 $60,180
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,090 15.23 5.82 $28.88 $60,080
West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 930 16.69 6.38 $28.03 $58,300


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012