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Heavy Equipment Operator Salary in Washington, DC

Updated

The median heavy equipment operator in the Washington area earns $61,660 a year ($29.64 an hour), 3% above the U.S. median ($59,850). Half of the 6,450 heavy equipment operators there earn between $54,760 and $72,940.

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: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Annual payWashington areaU.S.
10th percentile$46,580$42,190
25th percentile$54,760$48,680
Median$61,660$59,850
75th percentile$72,940$77,170
90th percentile$84,180$101,090
Average$64,850$66,290
Jobs6,450478,090

Washington, DC ranks 32nd of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay. Highest: San Francisco, CA ($124,750).

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Sources

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.