Heavy Equipment Operator Salary in Memphis, TN

Updated November 9, 2026

The median heavy equipment operator in the Memphis area earns $53,870 a year ($25.90 an hour), 10% below the U.S. median ($59,850) and 4% above the Tennessee median ($52,000). Half of the 1,140 heavy equipment operators there earn between $45,510 and $62,150.

Median $53,870

10th: $40,56090th: $72,790

Percentiles. Dark: the middle half of earners. Red line: median. Dashed: U.S. median.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, May 2025 (latest official data). Metro area: Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
Annual pay	Memphis area	Tennessee	U.S.
10th percentile	$40,560	$41,600	$42,190
25th percentile	$45,510	$46,490	$48,680
Median	$53,870	$52,000	$59,850
75th percentile	$62,150	$59,360	$77,170
90th percentile	$72,790	$75,430	$101,090
Average	$55,080	$55,050	$66,290
Jobs	1,140	10,660	478,090

Memphis, TN ranks 37th of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay. Highest: San Francisco, CA ($124,750).

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Heavy equipment operator pay in other cities

Nashville, TN: $56,030
San Francisco, CA: $124,750
San Jose, CA: $124,340
Chicago, IL: $103,100
Seattle, WA: $95,750
New York, NY: $95,050
Los Angeles, CA: $92,890
Sacramento, CA: $91,650
All cities

Similar jobs in Memphis, TN

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, published May 15, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, www.bls.gov/oes. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.