How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Greeley, CO?

The median hourly wage is $29.18. The middle half earn between $26.54 and $30.26 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Greeley, CO?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.05 an hour ($50,020 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.54.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Greeley or Fort Collins?

Fort Collins pays more: the median is $60,690 in Greeley and $64,650 in Fort Collins, a 6% difference.

How does Greeley pay compare with the rest of Colorado?

The Greeley median of $60,690 is 3% less than the Colorado median of $62,620.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Greeley, CO

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Greeley, CO area earn a median of $60,690 a year, or $29.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $73,640. Across all of Colorado, the median is $62,620, so Greeley pays 3% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$60,690

Bottom 10% under$50,020Top 10% over$73,640

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $24.05/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,550
After cost of living: $60,580
Median hourly pay: $29.18/hr
vs U.S. median: +1%
vs Colorado median: −3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 24540, Greeley, CO). Excludes self-employed heavy equipment operators. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice / entry level	$50,020–$55,210$24.05–$26.54/hr
Experienced operator	$60,690$29.18/hr
Top earners	$62,940–$73,640$30.26–$35.41/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Greeley, CO compares

Greeley ranks 6th of 7 Colorado metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Greeley area than nationally: 13.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 4.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $73,640, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $50,020: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Colorado metro areas

Other trades in Greeley, CO

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Auto mechanic Roofer Ironworker

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Greeley, CO?: Heavy equipment operators in the Greeley, CO area earn a median of $60,690 a year, or $29.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $73,640.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Greeley, CO?: The median hourly wage is $29.18. The middle half earn between $26.54 and $30.26 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Greeley, CO?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.05 an hour ($50,020 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.54.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Greeley or Fort Collins?: Fort Collins pays more: the median is $60,690 in Greeley and $64,650 in Fort Collins, a 6% difference.
How does Greeley pay compare with the rest of Colorado?: The Greeley median of $60,690 is 3% less 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 24540 (Greeley, 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 (100.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures