DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

47-2073 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Occupational Description:
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 ?Extraction Workers? (47-5000) and ?Crane and Tower Operators? (53-7021).

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
Wages Updated to First Quarter, 2020
 Percentiles
GeographyEmploymentEmp SE*MeanMean SE*10th25thMedian75th90th
Minnesota 10,240604$32.18/hr$0.64/hr$20.70/hr$26.20/hr$33.03/hr$38.01/hr$42.42/hr
U S 405,7503,246$26.44/hr$0.11/hr$15.76/hr$18.71/hr$23.90/hr$31.41/hr$41.78/hr
*SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate.


Leading Industries for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
IndustryOES EmploymentOES Median Wage
Construction8,320$34.27/hr
Public Administration900$25.91/hr
Natural Resources and Mining440$28.98/hr
Manufacturing280$27.17/hr
Professional and Business Services160$30.03/hr
Other Regional Data For Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Geography (click title for details)OESProjections
EmploymentMedian Wage% Change 2023 - 2025
Minnesota 10,240 $33.03/hr 5.1%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA 5,760 $35.55/hr N/A
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN 4,850 $35.96/hr N/A
Central Minnesota 2,010 $31.23/hr N/A
Northwest Balance of State 1,030 $24.29/hr N/A
Northeast Minnesota 850 $30.65/hr N/A
Southeast Minnesota 790 $28.63/hr N/A
Southwest Minnesota 780 $26.48/hr N/A
Duluth MN-WI MSA 740 $30.40/hr N/A
St Cloud MN MSA 680 $31.13/hr N/A
Southwest Balance of State 660 $26.08/hr N/A
Fargo ND-MN MSA 640 $26.09/hr N/A
Southeast Balance of State 470 $28.24/hr N/A
Rochester MN MSA 420 $29.23/hr N/A
Northeast Balance of State 310 $24.61/hr N/A
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA 220 $24.47/hr N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA 210 $25.77/hr N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA 190 $34.53/hr N/A
Northwest Minnesota N/A $24.28/hr N/A
Related Occupations
Occupation
(click title for details)
OESProjections
EmploymentMedian Wage% Change 2023 - 2025
Construction Laborers12,400$22.94/hr4.3%
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines3,310$29.67/hr3.9%
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators840$28.91/hr6.9%
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics750$18.46/hr0.7%
Motorboat Mechanics510$21.32/hr3.0%
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators300$26.79/hr4.4%
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand260$17.90/hr-0.7%
Pile-Driver Operators70$35.00/hr3.1%
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingN/A$17.50/hr0.8%
Roustabouts, Oil and GasN/AN/AN/A
Tasks for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators