Heavy equipment operator salary in Lake Havasu City, AZ
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Lake Havasu City–Kingman, AZ area earn a median of $51,550 a year, or $24.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $83,200. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $60,620; Lake Havasu City is 15% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $20.51/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 220
- After cost of living
- $54,780
- Median hourly pay
- $24.78/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −14%
- vs Arizona median
- −15%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $42,670–$46,200$20.51–$22.21/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $51,550$24.78/hr | |
| Top earners | $59,840–$83,200$28.77–$40.00/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Lake Havasu City, AZ compares
- Lake Havasu City ranks 6th of 7 Arizona metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Lake Havasu City area than nationally: 3.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $83,200, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $42,670: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Arizona metro areas
Other trades in Lake Havasu City, AZ
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Lake Havasu City, AZ?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Lake Havasu City–Kingman, AZ area earn a median of $51,550 a year, or $24.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $83,200.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Lake Havasu City, AZ?
- The median hourly wage is $24.78. The middle half earn between $22.21 and $28.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Lake Havasu City, AZ?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.51 an hour ($42,670 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.21.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Lake Havasu City or Phoenix?
- Phoenix pays more: the median is $51,550 in Lake Havasu City and $62,540 in Phoenix, a 18% difference.
- How does Lake Havasu City pay compare with the rest of Arizona?
- The Lake Havasu City median of $51,550 is 15% less than the Arizona median of $60,620.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2073 (Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators), area code 29420 (Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed heavy equipment operators and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (94.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures