Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA make a median of $62,610 a year, or about $30.1 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $68,277 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,318/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $65K | $73K |
| Cedar Rapids | $63K | $71K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $98K | $112K |
| Iowa City | $61K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $116K | +94% | 2,380 |
| Illinois | $98K | +63% | 12,290 |
| New Jersey | $90K | +50% | 5,980 |
| California | $87K | +46% | 36,020 |
| Washington | $82K | +37% | 10,290 |
| New York | $81K | +35% | 14,490 |
| Indiana | $80K | +33% | 11,520 |
| Minnesota | $79K | +32% | 8,590 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +32% | 2,860 |
| Alaska | $78K | +30% | 3,050 |
| Massachusetts | $77K | +28% | 9,680 |
| Wisconsin | $75K | +26% | 8,140 |
| District of Columbia | $75K | +25% | 620 |
| Oregon | $73K | +23% | 5,630 |
| Nevada | $71K | +19% | 5,410 |
| Ohio | $65K | +9% | 16,920 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +6% | 970 |
| Wyoming | $63K | +5% | 3,800 |
| Michigan | $63K | +5% | 9,500 |
| Colorado | $63K | +5% | 11,700 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +4% | 1,330 |
| North Dakota | $62K | +4% | 4,890 |
| Idaho | $62K | +3% | 4,270 |
| Montana | $62K | +3% | 3,750 |
| Maryland | $61K | +3% | 6,610 |
| Utah | $61K | +1% | 7,880 |
| Arizona | $61K | +1% | 13,200 |
| Missouri | $61K | +1% | 10,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +1% | 22,120 |
| Iowa | $60K | +1% | 5,530 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -1% | 2,050 |
| Vermont | $59K | -2% | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $58K | -2% | 3,180 |
| Delaware | $58K | -3% | 1,230 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -3% | 7,050 |
| Virginia | $57K | -4% | 12,100 |
| Maine | $56K | -6% | 2,210 |
| Tennessee | $52K | -13% | 10,660 |
| New Mexico | $52K | -13% | 5,520 |
| Louisiana | $52K | -14% | 7,860 |
| Kansas | $52K | -14% | 7,070 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -14% | 7,830 |
| Texas | $50K | -16% | 55,540 |
| Florida | $49K | -17% | 27,510 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -18% | 16,580 |
| South Carolina | $49K | -18% | 8,160 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -20% | 7,050 |
| Georgia | $48K | -20% | 15,700 |
| Alabama | $48K | -21% | 9,640 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -21% | 4,170 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -26% | 5,800 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a operating engineers and other construction equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 32.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new operating engineers and other construction equipment operators typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,803/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is operating engineers and other construction equipment operator a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $62,610 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,710, and experienced operating engineers and other construction equipment operators can clear $82,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,100/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 32.1% 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 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary is worth about $68,277 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do operating engineers and other construction 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.