Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC make a median of $50,210 a year, or about $24.14 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.34), which stretches that salary to about $56,837 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,358/month, about 40.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Pinehurst-Southern Pines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pinehurst-Southern Pines’s Regional Price Parity (88.34). 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines
Pay for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,358/month, which is 40.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.34 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for operating engineers and other construction equipment operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in metros near Pinehurst-Southern Pines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $51K | $52K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $51K | $52K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $49K | $53K |
| Wilmington | $48K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
Entry-level operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $22K 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 40.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,358/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new operating engineers and other construction equipment operators typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,329/month. At HUD’s $1,358/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $50K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pinehurst-Southern Pines compare to the national average for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators?
Pinehurst-Southern Pines pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?
The median is $50,210 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,820, and experienced operating engineers and other construction equipment operators can clear $60,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Pinehurst-Southern Pines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,344/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,358/month, which eats 40.6% 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines?
Pinehurst-Southern Pines has a Regional Price Parity of 88.34 (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 $56,837 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.