SOC 47-2073 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — Minnesota
Minnesota · 5 metro areas compared
In Minnesota the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators reaches $79,130 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.6%
- Openings per year
- 41,900
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Minnesota.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Minnesota the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators reaches $79,130 a year. That is 32.2% more than the national median of $59,850. Pay ranges from under $55,960 at the tenth percentile to more than $101,930 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $63,310 to $95,740.
The area has 8,590 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.95 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Minnesota ranks number 8th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Minneapolis records the highest median at $83,340. Of the 721 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 243rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $55,960 | −6.5% |
| 25th | $63,310 | +5.8% |
| Median (50th) | $79,130 | +32.2% |
| 75th | $95,740 | +60.0% |
| 90th | $101,930 | +70.3% |
| Mean | $79,070 | +32.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Minnesota
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis | $83,340 | 4,270 | |
| 2 | Rochester | $79,580 | 290 | |
| 3 | St. Cloud | $79,530 | 700 | |
| 4 | Mankato | $78,560 | 150 | |
| 5 | Duluth | $75,040 | 770 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Minnesota sit close to the national average, so $79,130 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$79,130as reported by BLSLocal price level
98.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$80,254US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $79,130 a year, 32.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $55,960 to $101,930 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 8,590 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 8th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Minneapolis, at $83,340.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Minnesota?
The median annual wage is $79,130, or $38.04 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $59,850, so pay in Minnesota is 32.2% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Minnesota earns more than $101,930 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $55,960 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Minneapolis, at $83,340 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 8,590 jobs in this occupation in Minnesota. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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