Heavy equipment operator salary in St. Joseph, MO-KS
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the St. Joseph, MO-KS area earn a median of $62,820 a year, or $30.20 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $92,490. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $60,540; St. Joseph is 4% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $20.13/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 390
- After cost of living
- $72,720
- Median hourly pay
- $30.20/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +5%
- vs Missouri median
- +4%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $41,870–$48,100$20.13–$23.12/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $62,820$30.20/hr | |
| Top earners | $82,940–$92,490$39.88–$44.47/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How St. Joseph, MO-KS compares
- St. Joseph ranks 4th of 8 Missouri metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the St. Joseph area than nationally: 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.3 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $92,490, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $41,870: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Missouri metro areas
Other trades in St. Joseph, MO-KS
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
- Heavy equipment operators in the St. Joseph, MO-KS area earn a median of $62,820 a year, or $30.20 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $92,490.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
- The median hourly wage is $30.20. The middle half earn between $23.12 and $39.88 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.13 an hour ($41,870 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.12.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in St. Joseph or St. Louis?
- St. Louis pays more: the median is $62,820 in St. Joseph and $82,270 in St. Louis, a 24% difference.
- How does St. Joseph pay compare with the rest of Missouri?
- The St. Joseph median of $62,820 is 4% more 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 41140 (St. Joseph, MO-KS). 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 (86.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures