How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Tulsa, OK?

The median hourly wage is $23.28. The middle half earn between $21.83 and $27.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Tulsa, OK?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.67 an hour ($38,820 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.83.

Do heavy equipment operators make more in Tulsa or Enid?

Enid pays more: the median is $48,420 in Tulsa and $49,050 in Enid, a 1% difference.

How does Tulsa pay compare with the rest of Oklahoma?

The Tulsa median of $48,420 is 1% more than the Oklahoma median of $47,970.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Tulsa, OK

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Tulsa, OK area earn a median of $48,420 a year, or $23.28 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $63,160. That's 1% more than the Oklahoma median of $47,970.

Median yearly pay$48,420

Bottom 10% under$38,820Top 10% over$63,160

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.67/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,530
After cost of living: $54,270
Median hourly pay: $23.28/hr
vs U.S. median: −19%
vs Oklahoma median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 46140, Tulsa, OK). 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	$38,820–$45,410$18.67–$21.83/hr
Experienced operator	$48,420$23.28/hr
Top earners	$56,760–$63,160$27.29–$30.37/hr

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

How Tulsa, OK compares

Tulsa ranks 3rd of 5 Oklahoma metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Tulsa area as nationally: 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $63,160, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,820: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Oklahoma metro areas

Other trades in Tulsa, OK

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Tulsa, OK?: Heavy equipment operators in the Tulsa, OK area earn a median of $48,420 a year, or $23.28 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $63,160.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Tulsa, OK?: The median hourly wage is $23.28. The middle half earn between $21.83 and $27.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Tulsa, OK?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.67 an hour ($38,820 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.83.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Tulsa or Enid?: Enid pays more: the median is $48,420 in Tulsa and $49,050 in Enid, a 1% difference.
How does Tulsa pay compare with the rest of Oklahoma?: The Tulsa median of $48,420 is 1% more than the Oklahoma median of $47,970.

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 46140 (Tulsa, OK). 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 (89.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures