Heavy equipment operator salary in Sebastian, FL
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Sebastian–Vero Beach–West Vero Corridor, FL area earn a median of $49,710 a year, or $23.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $60,310 a year. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $49,400; Sebastian is 1% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $19.81/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 120
- After cost of living
- $50,570
- Median hourly pay
- $23.90/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −17%
- vs Florida median
- +1%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $41,210–$47,440$19.81–$22.81/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $49,710$23.90/hr | |
| Top earners | $59,150–$60,310$28.44–$29.00/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Sebastian, FL compares
- Sebastian ranks 5th of 22 Florida metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are less concentrated in the Sebastian area than nationally: 2.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.69 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $60,310, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $41,210: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Florida metro areas
Other trades in Sebastian, FL
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Sebastian, FL?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Sebastian–Vero Beach–West Vero Corridor, FL area earn a median of $49,710 a year, or $23.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $60,310 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Sebastian, FL?
- The median hourly wage is $23.90. The middle half earn between $22.81 and $28.44 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Sebastian, FL?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.81 an hour ($41,210 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.81.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Sebastian or Miami?
- Miami pays more: the median is $49,710 in Sebastian and $51,800 in Miami, a 4% difference.
- How does Sebastian pay compare with the rest of Florida?
- The Sebastian median of $49,710 is 1% 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 42680 (Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, 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 (98.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures