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

The median hourly wage is $29.67. The middle half earn between $27.41 and $37.81 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.16 an hour ($46,100 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.41.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Elkhart or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $61,710 in Elkhart and $103,100 in Chicago, a 40% difference.

How does Elkhart pay compare with the rest of Indiana?

The Elkhart median of $61,710 is 22% less than the Indiana median of $79,580.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Elkhart, IN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Elkhart–Goshen, IN area earn a median of $61,710 a year, or $29.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $93,890. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $79,580; Elkhart is 22% below it.

Median yearly pay$61,710

Bottom 10% under$46,100Top 10% over$93,890

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.16/hr
Jobs in this area: 290
After cost of living: $68,320
Median hourly pay: $29.67/hr
vs U.S. median: +3%
vs Indiana median: −22%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 21140, Elkhart-Goshen, 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	$46,100–$57,020$22.16–$27.41/hr
Experienced operator	$61,710$29.67/hr
Top earners	$78,640–$93,890$37.81–$45.14/hr

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

How Elkhart, IN compares

Elkhart ranks 13th of 15 Indiana metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are less concentrated in the Elkhart area than nationally: 2.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.73 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $93,890, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,100: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Indiana metro areas

Other trades in Elkhart, IN

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Elkhart, IN?: Heavy equipment operators in the Elkhart–Goshen, IN area earn a median of $61,710 a year, or $29.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $93,890.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Elkhart, IN?: The median hourly wage is $29.67. The middle half earn between $27.41 and $37.81 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Elkhart, IN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.16 an hour ($46,100 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.41.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Elkhart or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $61,710 in Elkhart and $103,100 in Chicago, a 40% difference.
How does Elkhart pay compare with the rest of Indiana?: The Elkhart median of $61,710 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 21140 (Elkhart-Goshen, 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 (90.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures