TradeSalary

Heavy equipment operator salary in Lebanon, PA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in the Lebanon, PA area earn a median of $55,750 a year, or $26.80 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,520. Across all of Pennsylvania, the median is $60,530, so Lebanon pays 8% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$55,750
Bottom 10% under$41,040Top 10% over$74,520
Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
$19.73/hr
Jobs in this area
160
After cost of living
$59,810
Median hourly pay
$26.80/hr
vs U.S. median
−7%
vs Pennsylvania median
−8%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 30140, Lebanon, PA). 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

StageYearly payHourly pay
Apprentice / entry level$41,040–$49,120$19.73–$23.62/hr
Experienced operator$55,750$26.80/hr
Top earners$63,150–$74,520$30.36–$35.83/hr

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

How Lebanon, PA compares

  • Lebanon ranks 12th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
  • Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Lebanon area as nationally: 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs.
  • The 90th-percentile wage, $74,520, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $41,040: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Other trades in Lebanon, PA

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Lebanon, PA?
Heavy equipment operators in the Lebanon, PA area earn a median of $55,750 a year, or $26.80 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,520.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Lebanon, PA?
The median hourly wage is $26.80. The middle half earn between $23.62 and $30.36 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Lebanon, PA?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.73 an hour ($41,040 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.62.
Do heavy equipment operators make more in Lebanon or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia pays more: the median is $55,750 in Lebanon and $66,810 in Philadelphia, a 17% difference.
How does Lebanon pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
The Lebanon median of $55,750 is 8% less than the Pennsylvania median of $60,530.

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 30140 (Lebanon, PA). 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 (93.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures