Heavy equipment operator salary in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area earn a median of $66,950 a year, or $32.19 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $99,500. That's 3% more than the Ohio median of $64,940.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.70/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 3,120
- After cost of living
- $70,200
- Median hourly pay
- $32.19/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +12%
- vs Ohio median
- +3%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $47,210–$55,860$22.70–$26.86/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $66,950$32.19/hr | |
| Top earners | $94,650–$99,500$45.51–$47.84/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN compares
- Cincinnati ranks 3rd of 15 Ohio metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Cincinnati area as nationally: 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $99,500, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,210: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Ohio metro areas
Other trades in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area earn a median of $66,950 a year, or $32.19 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $99,500.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?
- The median hourly wage is $32.19. The middle half earn between $26.86 and $45.51 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.70 an hour ($47,210 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.86.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Cincinnati or Columbus?
- Columbus pays more: the median is $66,950 in Cincinnati and $78,950 in Columbus, a 15% difference.
- How does Cincinnati pay compare with the rest of Ohio?
- The Cincinnati median of $66,950 is 3% more than the Ohio median of $64,940.
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 17140 (Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN). 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 (95.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures