Heavy equipment operator salary in Waterbury, CT
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Waterbury–Shelton, CT area earn a median of $78,330 a year, or $37.66 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $101,310 a year. Across all of Connecticut, the median is $78,750, so Waterbury pays 1% less than the state as a whole.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $28.57/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 300
- After cost of living
- $78,500
- Median hourly pay
- $37.66/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +31%
- vs Connecticut median
- −1%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $59,430–$65,000$28.57–$31.25/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $78,330$37.66/hr | |
| Top earners | $100,730–$101,310$48.43–$48.71/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Waterbury, CT compares
- Waterbury ranks 3rd of 5 Connecticut metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are less concentrated in the Waterbury area than nationally: 1.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.61 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $101,310, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $59,430: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Connecticut metro areas
Other trades in Waterbury, CT
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Waterbury, CT?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Waterbury–Shelton, CT area earn a median of $78,330 a year, or $37.66 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $101,310 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Waterbury, CT?
- The median hourly wage is $37.66. The middle half earn between $31.25 and $48.43 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Waterbury, CT?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $28.57 an hour ($59,430 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $31.25.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Waterbury or Bridgeport?
- Bridgeport pays more: the median is $78,330 in Waterbury and $82,250 in Bridgeport, a 5% difference.
- How does Waterbury pay compare with the rest of Connecticut?
- The Waterbury median of $78,330 is 1% less than the Connecticut median of $78,750.
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 47930 (Waterbury-Shelton, CT). 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 (99.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures