Heavy equipment operator salary in Traverse City, MI
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Traverse City, MI area earn a median of $61,200 a year, or $29.42 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $78,550. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $62,690; Traverse City is 2% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.62/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 280
- After cost of living
- $65,540
- Median hourly pay
- $29.42/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +2%
- vs Michigan median
- −2%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $49,130–$59,780$23.62–$28.74/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $61,200$29.42/hr | |
| Top earners | $73,810–$78,550$35.49–$37.76/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Traverse City, MI compares
- Traverse City ranks 11th of 16 Michigan metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Traverse City area than nationally: 4.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $78,550, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $49,130: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Michigan metro areas
Other trades in Traverse City, MI
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Traverse City, MI?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Traverse City, MI area earn a median of $61,200 a year, or $29.42 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $78,550.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Traverse City, MI?
- The median hourly wage is $29.42. The middle half earn between $28.74 and $35.49 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Traverse City, MI?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.62 an hour ($49,130 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.74.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Traverse City or South Bend?
- South Bend pays more: the median is $61,200 in Traverse City and $80,460 in South Bend, a 24% difference.
- How does Traverse City pay compare with the rest of Michigan?
- The Traverse City median of $61,200 is 2% less than the Michigan median of $62,690.
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 45900 (Traverse City, MI). 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 (93.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures