How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Bloomington, IN?

The median hourly wage is $29.87. The middle half earn between $21.64 and $42.78 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Bloomington, IN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.23 an hour ($40,000 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.64.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Bloomington or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $62,120 in Bloomington and $103,100 in Chicago, a 40% difference.

How does Bloomington pay compare with the rest of Indiana?

The Bloomington median of $62,120 is 22% less than the Indiana median of $79,580.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Bloomington, IN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Bloomington, IN area earn a median of $62,120 a year, or $29.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $94,560. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $79,580; Bloomington is 22% below it.

Median yearly pay$62,120

Bottom 10% under$40,000Top 10% over$94,560

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $19.23/hr
Jobs in this area: 230
After cost of living: $65,330
Median hourly pay: $29.87/hr
vs U.S. median: +4%
vs Indiana median: −22%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 14020, Bloomington, IN). 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	$40,000–$45,020$19.23–$21.64/hr
Experienced operator	$62,120$29.87/hr
Top earners	$88,980–$94,560$42.78–$45.46/hr

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

How Bloomington, IN compares

Bloomington ranks 11th of 15 Indiana metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Bloomington area as nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $94,560, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,000: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Indiana metro areas

Other trades in Bloomington, IN

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Auto mechanic Roofer

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Bloomington, IN?: Heavy equipment operators in the Bloomington, IN area earn a median of $62,120 a year, or $29.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $94,560.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Bloomington, IN?: The median hourly wage is $29.87. The middle half earn between $21.64 and $42.78 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Bloomington, IN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.23 an hour ($40,000 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.64.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Bloomington or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $62,120 in Bloomington and $103,100 in Chicago, a 40% difference.
How does Bloomington pay compare with the rest of Indiana?: The Bloomington median of $62,120 is 22% less than the Indiana median of $79,580.

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 14020 (Bloomington, IN). 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 (95.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures