How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Columbia, MO?

The median hourly wage is $27.29. The middle half earn between $22.80 and $39.45 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Columbia, MO?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.09 an hour ($41,790 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.80.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Columbia or St. Louis?

St. Louis pays more: the median is $56,770 in Columbia and $82,270 in St. Louis, a 31% difference.

How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of Missouri?

The Columbia median of $56,770 is 6% less than the Missouri median of $60,540.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Columbia, MO

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Columbia, MO area earn a median of $56,770 a year, or $27.29 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $90,730. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $60,540; Columbia is 6% below it.

Median yearly pay$56,770

Bottom 10% under$41,790Top 10% over$90,730

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $20.09/hr
Jobs in this area: 310
After cost of living: $63,470
Median hourly pay: $27.29/hr
vs U.S. median: −5%
vs Missouri median: −6%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 17860, Columbia, MO). 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	$41,790–$47,430$20.09–$22.80/hr
Experienced operator	$56,770$27.29/hr
Top earners	$82,050–$90,730$39.45–$43.62/hr

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

How Columbia, MO compares

Columbia ranks 6th of 8 Missouri metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Columbia area as nationally: 2.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $90,730, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $41,790: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Missouri metro areas

Other trades in Columbia, MO

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Columbia, MO?: Heavy equipment operators in the Columbia, MO area earn a median of $56,770 a year, or $27.29 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $90,730.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Columbia, MO?: The median hourly wage is $27.29. The middle half earn between $22.80 and $39.45 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Columbia, MO?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.09 an hour ($41,790 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.80.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Columbia or St. Louis?: St. Louis pays more: the median is $56,770 in Columbia and $82,270 in St. Louis, a 31% difference.
How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of Missouri?: The Columbia median of $56,770 is 6% less than the Missouri median of $60,540.

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 17860 (Columbia, MO). 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 (89.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures