SOC 47-2073 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators — Waterloo
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA · 7 metro areas compared
At $97,770 a year, the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Waterloo, IA sits 63.4% above the national figure of $59,850.
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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
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
At $97,770 a year, the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Waterloo, IA sits 63.4% above the national figure of $59,850. Half of workers earn between $61,740 and $97,770. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $55,130 and the ninetieth at $97,770.
The area has 420 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.64 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Davenport leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $64,850. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 30th of 309 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $55,130 | −7.9% |
| 25th | $61,740 | +3.2% |
| Median (50th) | $97,770 | +63.4% |
| 75th | $97,770 | +63.4% |
| 90th | $97,770 | +63.4% |
| Mean | $82,640 | +38.1% |
Other metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davenport | $64,850 | 570 | |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | $63,310 | 490 | |
| 3 | Des Moines | $62,610 | 1,260 | |
| 4 | Ames | $62,400 | 190 | |
| 5 | Dubuque | $62,250 | 160 | |
| 6 | Iowa City | $60,530 | 210 | |
| 7 | Sioux City | $59,140 | 200 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Waterloo run 12.9% below the national average, so the median of $97,770 goes as far as $112,250 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 87.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$97,770as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$112,250US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $97,770 a year, 63.4% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $55,130 to $97,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 420 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Davenport, at $64,850.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Waterloo, IA?
The median annual wage is $97,770, or $47.01 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 Waterloo, IA is 63.4% 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 Waterloo, IA earns more than $97,770 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $55,130 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 Davenport, at $64,850 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 420 jobs in this occupation in Waterloo, IA. 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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