Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary
The median pay for a agricultural equipment operators in El Centro, CA is $37,200/year ($17.88/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.17), that's roughly $39,088 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,362/month, about 53% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in El Centro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Centro’s Regional Price Parity (95.17). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About agricultural equipment operators
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What this looks like in El Centro
Pay for agricultural equipment operators in El Centro runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,362/month, which is 52.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.17) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for agricultural equipment operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for agricultural equipment operators in metros near El Centro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno | $37K | $36K |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $37K | $37K |
| Salinas | $39K | $36K |
| Visalia | $36K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, El Centro, CA
Entry-level agricultural equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Agricultural Equipment Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $59K | +41% | 130 |
| Louisiana | $59K | +40% | 270 |
| New York | $50K | +20% | N/A |
| Delaware | $50K | +20% | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | +18% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +16% | 900 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +15% | 430 |
| South Dakota | $48K | +15% | 240 |
| Virginia | $48K | +15% | 120 |
| Ohio | $47K | +13% | 600 |
| Iowa | $47K | +13% | 1,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | +13% | 390 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +13% | 830 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +12% | 1,090 |
| Missouri | $46K | +11% | 900 |
| Maine | $46K | +11% | 60 |
| Indiana | $46K | +11% | 810 |
| Illinois | $46K | +10% | 1,910 |
| Kansas | $46K | +9% | 670 |
| Oregon | $44K | +6% | 310 |
| Michigan | $42K | +2% | 460 |
| Kentucky | $42K | +1% | 190 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -0% | 70 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -5% | 550 |
| Maryland | $40K | -5% | 180 |
| Idaho | $39K | -7% | 490 |
| California | $39K | -7% | 7,940 |
| Washington | $38K | -8% | 550 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -10% | 390 |
| Colorado | $37K | -11% | N/A |
| Florida | $37K | -12% | 790 |
| Arizona | $37K | -12% | 730 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -13% | 280 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -15% | 130 |
| Georgia | $35K | -15% | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -16% | 170 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -17% | 380 |
| Texas | $34K | -18% | 2,200 |
| Alabama | $34K | -19% | 370 |
| Arkansas | $32K | -23% | 350 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track agricultural equipment operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when El Centro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a agricultural equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Centro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 52.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,362/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for agricultural equipment operators in El Centro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new agricultural equipment operators typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,128/month. At HUD’s $1,362/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is agricultural equipment operator a high-paying job in El Centro?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $37K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does El Centro compare to the national average for agricultural equipment operators?
El Centro pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do agricultural equipment operators make in El Centro, CA?
The median is $37,200 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,460, and experienced agricultural equipment operators can clear $53,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in El Centro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,605/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,362/month, which eats 52.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a agricultural equipment operators salary go in El Centro?
El Centro has a Regional Price Parity of 95.17 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median agricultural equipment operators salary is worth about $39,088 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do agricultural equipment operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.