How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Lewiston, ME?

The median hourly wage is $26.99. The middle half earn between $23.52 and $28.40 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Lewiston, ME?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.63 an hour ($47,070 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.52.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Lewiston or Portland?

Portland pays more: the median is $56,140 in Lewiston and $59,530 in Portland, a 6% difference.

How does Lewiston pay compare with the rest of Maine?

The Lewiston median of $56,140 is about the same as the Maine median of $56,140.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Lewiston, ME

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Lewiston–Auburn, ME area earn a median of $56,140 a year, or $26.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $72,070. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $56,140; Lewiston is right at that level.

Median yearly pay$56,140

Bottom 10% under$47,070Top 10% over$72,070

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.63/hr
Jobs in this area: 130
After cost of living: $59,260
Median hourly pay: $26.99/hr
vs U.S. median: −6%
vs Maine median: 0%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 30340, Lewiston-Auburn, ME). 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	$47,070–$48,920$22.63–$23.52/hr
Experienced operator	$56,140$26.99/hr
Top earners	$59,070–$72,070$28.40–$34.65/hr

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

How Lewiston, ME compares

Lewiston ranks 2nd of 3 Maine metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are less concentrated in the Lewiston area than nationally: 2.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.89 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $72,070, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,070: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Maine metro areas

Other trades in Lewiston, ME

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Lewiston, ME?: Heavy equipment operators in the Lewiston–Auburn, ME area earn a median of $56,140 a year, or $26.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $72,070.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Lewiston, ME?: The median hourly wage is $26.99. The middle half earn between $23.52 and $28.40 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Lewiston, ME?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.63 an hour ($47,070 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.52.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Lewiston or Portland?: Portland pays more: the median is $56,140 in Lewiston and $59,530 in Portland, a 6% difference.
How does Lewiston pay compare with the rest of Maine?: The Lewiston median of $56,140 is about the same as the Maine median of $56,140.

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 30340 (Lewiston-Auburn, ME). 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 (94.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures