How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Honolulu, HI?

The median hourly wage is $56.55. The middle half earn between $42.10 and $57.93 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Honolulu, HI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $29.32 an hour ($60,990 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $42.10.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Honolulu or Kahului?

Kahului pays more: the median is $117,630 in Honolulu and $124,990 in Kahului, a 6% difference.

How does Honolulu pay compare with the rest of Hawaii?

The Honolulu median of $117,630 is 2% more than the Hawaii median of $115,860.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Honolulu, HI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Urban Honolulu, HI area earn a median of $117,630 a year, or $56.55 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $129,170. That's 2% more than the Hawaii median of $115,860.

Median yearly pay$117,630

Bottom 10% under$60,990Top 10% over$129,170

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $29.32/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,430
After cost of living: $106,010
Median hourly pay: $56.55/hr
vs U.S. median: +97%
vs Hawaii median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 46520, Urban Honolulu, HI). 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	$60,990–$87,570$29.32–$42.10/hr
Experienced operator	$117,630$56.55/hr
Top earners	$120,500–$129,170$57.93–$62.10/hr

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

How Honolulu, HI compares

Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Honolulu area as nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $129,170, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $60,990: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Hawaii metro areas

Kahului–Wailuku$124,990

Other trades in Honolulu, HI

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Honolulu, HI?: Heavy equipment operators in the Urban Honolulu, HI area earn a median of $117,630 a year, or $56.55 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $129,170.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Honolulu, HI?: The median hourly wage is $56.55. The middle half earn between $42.10 and $57.93 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Honolulu, HI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $29.32 an hour ($60,990 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $42.10.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Honolulu or Kahului?: Kahului pays more: the median is $117,630 in Honolulu and $124,990 in Kahului, a 6% difference.
How does Honolulu pay compare with the rest of Hawaii?: The Honolulu median of $117,630 is 2% more than the Hawaii median of $115,860.

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 46520 (Urban Honolulu, HI). 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 (111.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures