Heavy equipment operator salary in Fayetteville, AR
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR area earn a median of $50,090 a year, or $24.08 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $60,010. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $44,520; Fayetteville is 13% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.53/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 900
- After cost of living
- $54,830
- Median hourly pay
- $24.08/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −16%
- vs Arkansas median
- +13%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $38,550–$44,010$18.53–$21.16/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $50,090$24.08/hr | |
| Top earners | $53,630–$60,010$25.79–$28.85/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Fayetteville, AR compares
- Fayetteville ranks 2nd of 7 Arkansas metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Fayetteville area as nationally: 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $60,010, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,550: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Arkansas metro areas
Other trades in Fayetteville, AR
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Fayetteville, AR?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR area earn a median of $50,090 a year, or $24.08 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $60,010.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Fayetteville, AR?
- The median hourly wage is $24.08. The middle half earn between $21.16 and $25.79 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Fayetteville, AR?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.53 an hour ($38,550 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.16.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Fayetteville or Memphis?
- Memphis pays more: the median is $50,090 in Fayetteville and $53,870 in Memphis, a 7% difference.
- How does Fayetteville pay compare with the rest of Arkansas?
- The Fayetteville median of $50,090 is 13% more than the Arkansas median of $44,520.
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 22220 (Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR). 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 (91.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures