How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Fargo, ND-MN?

The median hourly wage is $29.66. The middle half earn between $26.36 and $34.82 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Fargo, ND-MN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.25 an hour ($48,350 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.36.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Fargo or Minot?

Minot pays more: the median is $61,690 in Fargo and $62,990 in Minot, a 2% difference.

How does Fargo pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?

The Fargo median of $61,690 is 1% less than the North Dakota median of $62,150.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Fargo, ND-MN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Fargo, ND-MN area earn a median of $61,690 a year, or $29.66 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,570. Across all of North Dakota, the median is $62,150, so Fargo pays 1% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$61,690

Bottom 10% under$48,350Top 10% over$81,570

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $23.25/hr
Jobs in this area: 960
After cost of living: $67,890
Median hourly pay: $29.66/hr
vs U.S. median: +3%
vs North Dakota median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 22020, Fargo, ND-MN). 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	$48,350–$54,830$23.25–$26.36/hr
Experienced operator	$61,690$29.66/hr
Top earners	$72,420–$81,570$34.82–$39.22/hr

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

How Fargo, ND-MN compares

Fargo ranks 3rd of 4 North Dakota metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in the Fargo area than nationally: 6.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,570, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,350: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Dakota metro areas

Other trades in Fargo, ND-MN

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Fargo, ND-MN?: Heavy equipment operators in the Fargo, ND-MN area earn a median of $61,690 a year, or $29.66 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,570.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Fargo, ND-MN?: The median hourly wage is $29.66. The middle half earn between $26.36 and $34.82 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Fargo, ND-MN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.25 an hour ($48,350 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.36.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Fargo or Minot?: Minot pays more: the median is $61,690 in Fargo and $62,990 in Minot, a 2% difference.
How does Fargo pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?: The Fargo median of $61,690 is 1% less than 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 22020 (Fargo, ND-MN). 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 (90.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures