Heavy equipment operator salary in Orlando, FL
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, FL area earn a median of $51,020 a year, or $24.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $63,800 a year. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $49,400; Orlando is 3% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.88/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 4,330
- After cost of living
- $50,310
- Median hourly pay
- $24.53/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −15%
- vs Florida median
- +3%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $39,280–$47,030$18.88–$22.61/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $51,020$24.53/hr | |
| Top earners | $57,130–$63,800$27.47–$30.68/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Orlando, FL compares
- Orlando ranks 3rd of 22 Florida metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Orlando area as nationally: 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $63,800, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,280: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Florida metro areas
Other trades in Orlando, FL
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Orlando, FL?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, FL area earn a median of $51,020 a year, or $24.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $63,800 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Orlando, FL?
- The median hourly wage is $24.53. The middle half earn between $22.61 and $27.47 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Orlando, FL?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.88 an hour ($39,280 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.61.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Orlando or Miami?
- Miami pays more: the median is $51,020 in Orlando and $51,800 in Miami, a 2% difference.
- How does Orlando pay compare with the rest of Florida?
- The Orlando median of $51,020 is 3% more than the Florida median of $49,400.
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 36740 (Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL). 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 (101.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures