Heavy equipment operator salary in El Centro, CA
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the El Centro, CA area earn a median of $70,830 a year, or $34.05 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $122,530 a year. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $87,160; El Centro is 19% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.58/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 240
- After cost of living
- $74,420
- Median hourly pay
- $34.05/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +18%
- vs California median
- −19%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $46,970–$55,910$22.58–$26.88/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $70,830$34.05/hr | |
| Top earners | $80,350–$122,530$38.63–$58.91/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How El Centro, CA compares
- El Centro ranks 23rd of 25 California metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the El Centro area than nationally: 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $122,530, is 2.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,970: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in El Centro, CA
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in El Centro, CA?
- Heavy equipment operators in the El Centro, CA area earn a median of $70,830 a year, or $34.05 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $122,530 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in El Centro, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $34.05. The middle half earn between $26.88 and $38.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in El Centro, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.58 an hour ($46,970 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.88.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in El Centro or San Francisco?
- San Francisco pays more: the median is $70,830 in El Centro and $124,750 in San Francisco, a 43% difference.
- How does El Centro pay compare with the rest of California?
- The El Centro median of $70,830 is 19% less than the California median of $87,160.
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 20940 (El Centro, CA). 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 (95.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures