Heavy equipment operator salary in Columbia, SC
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in the Columbia, SC area earn a median of $48,410 a year, or $23.27 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $62,230 a year. Statewide, heavy equipment operators earn a median of $48,940; Columbia is 1% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.34/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 1,120
- After cost of living
- $51,690
- Median hourly pay
- $23.27/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −19%
- vs South Carolina median
- −1%
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $38,150–$43,310$18.34–$20.82/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $48,410$23.27/hr | |
| Top earners | $56,270–$62,230$27.05–$29.92/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Columbia, SC compares
- Columbia ranks 7th of 10 South Carolina metro areas for heavy equipment operator pay.
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in the Columbia area as nationally: 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $62,230, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,150: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other South Carolina metro areas
Other trades in Columbia, SC
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Columbia, SC?
- Heavy equipment operators in the Columbia, SC area earn a median of $48,410 a year, or $23.27 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $62,230 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Columbia, SC?
- The median hourly wage is $23.27. The middle half earn between $20.82 and $27.05 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Columbia, SC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.34 an hour ($38,150 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.82.
- Do heavy equipment operators make more in Columbia or Charlotte?
- Charlotte pays more: the median is $48,410 in Columbia and $50,870 in Charlotte, a 5% difference.
- How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?
- The Columbia median of $48,410 is 1% less than the South Carolina median of $48,940.
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 17900 (Columbia, SC). 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 (93.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures