Heavy equipment operator salary in Tennessee
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Heavy equipment operators in Tennessee earn a median of $52,000 a year, or $25.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $75,430. Tennessee ranks 39th of 51 states and DC for heavy equipment operator pay, at 13% less than the U.S. median of $59,850.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $20.00/hr
- Jobs in Tennessee
- 10,660
- After cost of living
- $56,600
- Median hourly pay
- $25.00/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −13%
- Rank among states
- 39th of 51
Entry-level to top heavy equipment operator pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $41,600–$46,490$20.00–$22.35/hr | |
| Experienced operator | $52,000$25.00/hr | |
| Top earners | $59,360–$75,430$28.54–$36.27/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 Tennessee rose 33.6%, from $38,930 in May 2021 to $52,000 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 11.9%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $38,930 | $18.72/hr |
| May 2022 | $45,570 | $21.91/hr |
| May 2023 | $47,270 | $22.73/hr |
| May 2024 | $49,070 | $23.59/hr |
| May 2025 | $52,000 | $25.00/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 Tennessee compares
- Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in Tennessee as nationally: 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $75,430, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $41,600: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Tennessee
- East Tennessee$56,220
- West Tennessee$50,490
- South Central Tennessee$48,810
- North Central Tennessee$48,700
Other trades in Tennessee
Questions
- How much do heavy equipment operators make in Tennessee?
- Heavy equipment operators in Tennessee earn a median of $52,000 a year, or $25.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $75,430.
- How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Tennessee?
- The median hourly wage is $25.00. The middle half earn between $22.35 and $28.54 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Tennessee?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.00 an hour ($41,600 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.35.
- Has heavy equipment operator pay gone up in Tennessee?
- The median heavy equipment operator wage in Tennessee rose 33.6%, from $38,930 in May 2021 to $52,000 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 11.9%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- Where in Tennessee do heavy equipment operators earn the most?
- Among Tennessee metro areas, Nashville–Davidson––Murfreesboro––Franklin has the highest median at $56,030 a year, and Jackson the lowest at $47,240.
- Do heavy equipment operators in Tennessee earn more than the national average?
- The Tennessee median of $52,000 is 13% less than the U.S. median of $59,850. Prices in Tennessee run 8% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $56,600 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 47. 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 (91.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures