Heavy equipment operator salary in South Dakota
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in South Dakota earn a median of $59,500 a year, or $28.61 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $75,880 a year. Nationally the median is $59,850, so South Dakota pays 1% less than the U.S. overall and ranks 31st of 51.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.72/hr
- Jobs in South Dakota
- 2,050
- After cost of living
- $67,170
- Median hourly pay
- $28.61/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −1%
- Rank among states
- 31st of 51
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $47,260–$50,690$22.72–$24.37/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $59,500$28.61/hr | |
| Top earners | $63,460–$75,880$30.51–$36.48/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
Pay over time
The median heavy equipment operator wage in South Dakota rose 25.3%, from $47,470 in May 2021 to $59,500 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 5%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,470 | $22.82/hr |
| May 2022 | $49,310 | $23.71/hr |
| May 2023 | $52,510 | $25.25/hr |
| May 2024 | $56,720 | $27.27/hr |
| May 2025 | $59,500 | $28.61/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
How South Dakota compares
- Heavy equipment operators are more concentrated in South Dakota than nationally: 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.5 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $75,880, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,260: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural South Dakota
- East South Dakota$58,560
- West South Dakota$57,080
Other trades in South Dakota
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in South Dakota?
- Heavy equipment operators in South Dakota earn a median of $59,500 a year, or $28.61 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $75,880 a year.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in South Dakota?
- The median hourly wage is $28.61. The middle half earn between $24.37 and $30.51 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in South Dakota?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.72 an hour ($47,260 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.37.
- Has heavy equipment operator pay gone up in South Dakota?
- The median heavy equipment operator wage in South Dakota rose 25.3%, from $47,470 in May 2021 to $59,500 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 5%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- Where in South Dakota do heavy equipment operators earn the most?
- Among South Dakota metro areas, Sioux Falls has the highest median at $60,960 a year, and Sioux City the lowest at $59,140.
- Do heavy equipment operators in South Dakota earn more than the national average?
- The South Dakota median of $59,500 is 1% less than the U.S. median of $59,850. Prices in South Dakota run 11% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $67,170 would nationally.
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 46. 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 (88.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures