Heavy equipment operator salary in Des Moines, IA
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $62,610 a year, or $30.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,970. Across all of Iowa, the median is $60,330, so Des Moines pays 4% more than the state as a whole.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.46/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 1,260
- After cost of living
- $68,280
- Median hourly pay
- $30.10/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +5%
- vs Iowa median
- +4%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $46,710–$58,290$22.46–$28.03/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $62,610$30.10/hr | |
| Top earners | $78,250–$82,970$37.62–$39.89/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Des Moines, IA compares
- Des Moines ranks 4th of 9 Iowa metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Des Moines area as nationally: 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $82,970, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,710: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Iowa metro areas
Other trades in Des Moines, IA
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Des Moines, IA?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $62,610 a year, or $30.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,970.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Des Moines, IA?
- The median hourly wage is $30.10. The middle half earn between $28.03 and $37.62 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Des Moines, IA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.46 an hour ($46,710 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.03.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Des Moines or Waterloo?
- Waterloo pays more: the median is $62,610 in Des Moines and $97,770 in Waterloo, a 36% difference.
- How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?
- The Des Moines median of $62,610 is 4% more than the Iowa median of $60,330.
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 19780 (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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 (91.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures