National Salary Info » Construction Equipment Operators

Highest Paying Industries for Construction Equipment Operators

The top 100 highest paying industries for construction equipment operators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $66,740, general medical and surgical hospitals is the highest paying industry for construction equipment operators. It is followed by painting and wall covering contractors industry (average annual salary $64,670). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of construction equipment operators in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Construction Equipment Operators

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$66,740	$39,280	80
2	Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	$64,670	$35,990	n/a
3	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$62,290	$27,610	400
4	Repair and Maintenance	$62,290	$27,610	400
5	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$60,310	$36,880	1,910
6	Roofing Contractors	$58,550	$35,040	60
7	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$58,360	$40,260	40
8	Natural Gas Distribution	$58,070	$34,220	1,460
9	Utilities	$57,600	$33,790	3,810
10	Facilities Support Services	$56,210	$35,750	160
11	Rail Transportation	$56,020	$41,200	1,000
12	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$54,260	$32,340	130
13	Scientific Research and Development Services	$54,260	$32,340	130
14	Lessors of Real Estate	$54,040	$41,000	n/a
15	Federal government, including USPS	$53,800	$45,630	2,480
16	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$53,800	$45,630	2,480
17	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$53,540	$32,190	1,760
18	Pipeline Transportation	$53,480	$32,660	190
19	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$53,380	$32,860	150
20	Health Care and Social Assistance	$52,880	$31,750	120
21	Machinery Manufacturing	$52,780	$29,880	80
22	Hospitals - Privately owned	$52,710	$38,140	60
23	Support Activities for Rail Transportation	$51,790	$32,840	350
24	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$51,630	$32,000	2,080
25	Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors	$51,370	$29,620	6,280
26	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$50,600	$32,840	80
27	Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	$49,700	$29,340	8,860
28	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$49,670	$26,560	500
29	Real Estate	$49,410	$38,320	170
30	Coal Mining	$49,160	$30,720	9,060
31	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$49,110	$27,970	50
32	Chemical Manufacturing	$48,790	$26,030	120
33	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$48,580	$39,950	260
34	Other Building Equipment Contractors	$47,880	$29,460	580
35	Support Activities for Transportation	$47,300	$30,780	680
36	Building Equipment Contractors	$46,970	$30,820	5,190
37	Nonresidential Building Construction	$46,620	$29,180	14,820
38	Support Activities for Road Transportation	$46,580	$25,570	90
39	Transportation and Warehousing	$46,580	$28,290	3,280
40	Utility System Construction	$46,390	$29,880	47,500
41	Construction of Buildings	$46,340	$29,470	18,670
42	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$46,180	$37,950	360
43	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$45,970	$28,310	126,180
44	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$45,910	$27,520	61,910
45	Engineering Services	$45,730	$31,550	1,060
46	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$45,430	$29,070	1,210
47	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$45,320	$28,130	15,310
48	Residential Building Construction	$45,250	$30,730	3,850
49	Masonry Contractors	$45,130	$30,830	n/a
50	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$44,960	$31,600	190
51	Waste Collection	$44,900	$31,560	1,240
52	Office Administrative Services	$44,840	$32,370	50
53	Metal Ore Mining	$44,650	$35,980	2,650
54	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$44,590	$28,660	1,650
55	Support Activities for Mining	$44,400	$30,320	9,020
56	Construction	$44,330	$27,960	255,900
57	Building Finishing Contractors	$44,280	$27,120	440
58	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$44,250	$29,630	7,580
59	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$44,050	$28,300	22,290
60	Mining	$43,990	$28,760	32,060
61	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	$43,930	$29,670	2,520
62	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$43,780	$27,160	2,330
63	Death Care Services	$43,500	$24,970	n/a
64	Personal and Laundry Services	$43,500	$24,970	n/a
65	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$43,320	$29,520	11,310
66	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$43,290	$38,980	70
67	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$43,110	$28,080	440
68	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$42,780	$28,890	150
69	Specialty Trade Contractors	$42,310	$27,380	111,060
70	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$41,900	$28,230	2,700
71	Manufacturing	$41,890	$28,320	7,100
72	Ship and Boat Building	$41,850	$28,620	140
73	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$41,570	$28,350	4,570
74	Other Specialty Trade Contractors	$41,530	$27,130	96,580
75	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$41,260	$27,070	11,000
76	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$41,220	$29,870	1,360
77	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$41,220	$32,750	50
78	Testing Laboratories	$40,770	$20,750	30
79	Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing	$40,680	$28,350	140
80	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$40,390	$26,230	10,570
81	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$40,340	$28,300	230
82	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$39,720	$22,970	300
83	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	$39,580	$29,470	1,160
84	Land Subdivision	$39,580	$25,780	1,460
85	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$39,330	$28,590	3,860
86	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$39,290	$26,500	78,850
87	Federal, State, and Local Government	$39,290	$26,500	78,850
88	Rental and Leasing Services	$39,250	$29,120	1,190
89	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$39,220	$26,480	79,790
90	Wood Product Manufacturing	$38,910	$24,120	40
91	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$38,790	$26,110	60,950
92	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$38,770	$26,110	61,300
93	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	$38,770	$31,800	630
94	Telecommunications	$38,690	$31,690	640
95	Information	$38,690	$31,690	640
96	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$38,580	$27,970	15,420
97	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$38,580	$32,150	100
98	State government, including schools and hospitals	$38,570	$27,870	16,000
99	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	$38,550	$29,130	340
100	Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers	$38,290	$26,890	90