How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Farmington, NM?

The median hourly wage is $26.53. The middle half earn between $24.22 and $31.33 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Farmington, NM?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.13 an hour ($46,040 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.22.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Farmington or Santa Fe?

Farmington pays more: the median is $55,180 in Farmington and $52,000 in Santa Fe, a 6% difference.

How does Farmington pay compare with the rest of New Mexico?

The Farmington median of $55,180 is 6% more than the New Mexico median of $52,000.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Farmington, NM

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Farmington, NM area earn a median of $55,180 a year, or $26.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,940. That's 6% more than the New Mexico median of $52,000.

Median yearly pay$55,180

Bottom 10% under$46,040Top 10% over$81,940

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.13/hr
Jobs in this area: 480
After cost of living: $62,910
Median hourly pay: $26.53/hr
vs U.S. median: −8%
vs New Mexico median: +6%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 22140, Farmington, NM). 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	$46,040–$50,390$22.13–$24.22/hr
Experienced operator	$55,180$26.53/hr
Top earners	$65,170–$81,940$31.33–$39.40/hr

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

How Farmington, NM compares

Farmington has the highest heavy equipment operator median of the 4 New Mexico metro areas with published pay.
Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Farmington area than nationally: 10.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 3.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,940, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,040: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New Mexico metro areas

Other trades in Farmington, NM

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Auto mechanic

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Farmington, NM?: Heavy equipment operators in the Farmington, NM area earn a median of $55,180 a year, or $26.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,940.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Farmington, NM?: The median hourly wage is $26.53. The middle half earn between $24.22 and $31.33 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Farmington, NM?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.13 an hour ($46,040 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.22.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Farmington or Santa Fe?: Farmington pays more: the median is $55,180 in Farmington and $52,000 in Santa Fe, a 6% difference.
How does Farmington pay compare with the rest of New Mexico?: The Farmington median of $55,180 is 6% more than the New Mexico median of $52,000.

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 22140 (Farmington, NM). 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 (87.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures