Heavy equipment operator salary in Denver, CO
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO area earn a median of $64,080 a year, or $30.81 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $79,900. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $62,620; Denver is 2% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $25.23/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 5,150
- After cost of living
- $60,580
- Median hourly pay
- $30.81/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +7%
- vs Colorado median
- +2%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $52,470–$60,990$25.23–$29.32/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $64,080$30.81/hr | |
| Top earners | $76,080–$79,900$36.58–$38.42/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Denver, CO compares
- Denver ranks 3rd of 7 Colorado metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Denver area as nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $79,900, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $52,470: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Colorado metro areas
Other trades in Denver, CO
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Denver, CO?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO area earn a median of $64,080 a year, or $30.81 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $79,900.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Denver, CO?
- The median hourly wage is $30.81. The middle half earn between $29.32 and $36.58 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Denver, CO?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $25.23 an hour ($52,470 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.32.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Denver or Fort Collins?
- Fort Collins pays more: the median is $64,080 in Denver and $64,650 in Fort Collins, a 1% difference.
- How does Denver pay compare with the rest of Colorado?
- The Denver median of $64,080 is 2% more than the Colorado median of $62,620.
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 19740 (Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO). 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 (105.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures