Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Salary
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators in Richmond, VA make a median of $55,280 a year, or about $26.58 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $56,489 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 45.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Richmond?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). 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 Richmond
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators pay in Richmond tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,655/month, which is 45.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in metros near Richmond, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $50K | $54K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $52K | $53K |
| Roanoke | $49K | $52K |
| Charlottesville | $60K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $34K 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 Richmond?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 45.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Richmond?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new operating engineers and other construction equipment operators typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,439/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Richmond?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Richmond compare to the national average for operating engineers and other construction equipment operators?
Richmond pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do operating engineers and other construction equipment operators make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $55,280 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,650, and experienced operating engineers and other construction equipment operators can clear $74,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,650/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 45.3% 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 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators salary go in Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 $56,489 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.