Heavy equipment operator salary in Kentucky
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in Kentucky earn a median of $57,780 a year, or $27.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $80,890. Kentucky ranks 35th of 51 states and DC for heavy equipment operator pay, at 3% less than the U.S. median of $59,850.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $21.45/hr
- Jobs in Kentucky
- 7,050
- After cost of living
- $64,090
- Median hourly pay
- $27.78/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −3%
- Rank among states
- 35th of 51
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $44,620–$49,040$21.45–$23.58/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $57,780$27.78/hr | |
| Top earners | $65,720–$80,890$31.59–$38.89/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
Pay over time
The median heavy equipment operator wage in Kentucky rose 23.5%, from $46,780 in May 2021 to $57,780 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 3.4%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,780 | $22.49/hr |
| May 2022 | $49,780 | $23.93/hr |
| May 2023 | $54,610 | $26.25/hr |
| May 2024 | $57,060 | $27.43/hr |
| May 2025 | $57,780 | $27.78/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
How Kentucky compares
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in Kentucky than nationally: 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $80,890, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,620: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Kentucky
- West Kentucky$57,210
- East Kentucky$56,990
- Central Kentucky$51,420
- South Central Kentucky$50,100
Other trades in Kentucky
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Kentucky?
- Heavy equipment operators in Kentucky earn a median of $57,780 a year, or $27.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $80,890.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Kentucky?
- The median hourly wage is $27.78. The middle half earn between $23.58 and $31.59 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Kentucky?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.45 an hour ($44,620 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.58.
- Has heavy equipment operator pay gone up in Kentucky?
- The median heavy equipment operator wage in Kentucky rose 23.5%, from $46,780 in May 2021 to $57,780 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 3.4%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- Where in Kentucky do heavy equipment operators earn the most?
- Among Kentucky metro areas, Cincinnati has the highest median at $66,950 a year, and Owensboro the lowest at $49,550.
- Do heavy equipment operators in Kentucky earn more than the national average?
- The Kentucky median of $57,780 is 3% less than the U.S. median of $59,850. Prices in Kentucky run 10% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $64,090 would nationally.
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 21. 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 (90.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures