How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Trenton, NJ?

The median hourly wage is $33.56. The middle half earn between $29.88 and $57.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Trenton, NJ?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.79 an hour ($51,570 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.88.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Trenton or New York?

New York pays more: the median is $69,800 in Trenton and $95,050 in New York, a 27% difference.

How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?

The Trenton median of $69,800 is 22% less than the New Jersey median of $89,660.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Trenton, NJ

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $69,800 a year, or $33.56 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $125,010. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $89,660; Trenton is 22% below it.

Median yearly pay$69,800

Bottom 10% under$51,570Top 10% over$125,010

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $24.79/hr
Jobs in this area: 270
After cost of living: $67,650
Median hourly pay: $33.56/hr
vs U.S. median: +17%
vs New Jersey median: −22%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 45940, Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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	$51,570–$62,140$24.79–$29.88/hr
Experienced operator	$69,800$33.56/hr
Top earners	$119,340–$125,010$57.38–$60.10/hr

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

How Trenton, NJ compares

Trenton ranks 4th of 6 New Jersey metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are less concentrated in the Trenton area than nationally: 1.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.36 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $125,010, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $51,570: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New Jersey metro areas

Other trades in Trenton, NJ

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Trenton, NJ?: Heavy equipment operators in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $69,800 a year, or $33.56 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $125,010.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Trenton, NJ?: The median hourly wage is $33.56. The middle half earn between $29.88 and $57.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Trenton, NJ?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.79 an hour ($51,570 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.88.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Trenton or New York?: New York pays more: the median is $69,800 in Trenton and $95,050 in New York, a 27% difference.
How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?: The Trenton median of $69,800 is 22% less than the New Jersey median of $89,660.

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 45940 (Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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 (103.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures