Heavy equipment operator salary in Bismarck, ND
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Bismarck, ND area earn a median of $62,150 a year, or $29.88 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $87,290 a year. Across all of North Dakota, the median is $62,150, so Bismarck pays about the same as the state as a whole.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.09/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 580
- After cost of living
- $68,280
- Median hourly pay
- $29.88/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +4%
- vs North Dakota median
- 0%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $48,030–$53,400$23.09–$25.67/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $62,150$29.88/hr | |
| Top earners | $73,110–$87,290$35.15–$41.96/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Bismarck, ND compares
- Bismarck ranks 2nd of 4 North Dakota metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Bismarck area than nationally: 8.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.6 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $87,290, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,030: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other North Dakota metro areas
Other trades in Bismarck, ND
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Bismarck, ND?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Bismarck, ND area earn a median of $62,150 a year, or $29.88 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $87,290 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Bismarck, ND?
- The median hourly wage is $29.88. The middle half earn between $25.67 and $35.15 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Bismarck, ND?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.09 an hour ($48,030 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.67.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Bismarck or Minot?
- Minot pays more: the median is $62,150 in Bismarck and $62,990 in Minot, a 1% difference.
- How does Bismarck pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?
- The Bismarck median of $62,150 is about the same as the North Dakota median of $62,150.
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 13900 (Bismarck, ND). 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 (91.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures