How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Virginia?

The median hourly wage is $27.48. The middle half earn between $23.10 and $30.45 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Virginia?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.65 an hour ($40,870 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.10.

Where in Virginia do heavy equipment operators earn the most?

Among Virginia metro areas, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria has the highest median at $61,660 a year, and Staunton–Stuarts Draft the lowest at $48,750.

Do heavy equipment operators in Virginia earn more than the national average?

The Virginia median of $57,160 is 4% less than the U.S. median of $59,850. Prices in Virginia run 1% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $56,540 would nationally.

Heavy equipment operator salary in Virginia

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Heavy equipment operators in Virginia earn a median of $57,160 a year, or $27.48 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,250 a year. Virginia ranks 36th of 51 states and DC for heavy equipment operator pay, at 4% less than the U.S. median of $59,850.

Median yearly pay$57,160

Bottom 10% under$40,870Top 10% over$78,250

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $19.65/hr
Jobs in Virginia: 12,100
After cost of living: $56,540
Median hourly pay: $27.48/hr
vs U.S. median: −4%
Rank among states: 36th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 51). 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	$40,870–$48,040$19.65–$23.10/hr
Experienced operator	$57,160$27.48/hr
Top earners	$63,330–$78,250$30.45–$37.62/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 Virginia rose 21.9%, from $46,910 in May 2021 to $57,160 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 2%.

Year	Median a year	Median an hour
May 2021	$46,910	$22.55/hr
May 2022	$47,350	$22.77/hr
May 2023	$48,890	$23.51/hr
May 2024	$52,240	$25.11/hr
May 2025	$57,160	$27.48/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 Virginia compares

Heavy equipment operators hold about the same share of jobs in Virginia as nationally: 2.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,250, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,870: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Washington–Arlington–AlexandriaDC-VA-MD-WV$61,660
Charlottesville$59,790
Kingsport–BristolTN-VA$55,960
Richmond$55,280
Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk$52,060
Winchester$50,790
Lynchburg$50,100
Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford$50,030

See all Virginia metro areas

Rural Virginia

Southwest Virginia$56,890
Northeast Virginia$55,610
Northwest Virginia$54,130
Southside Virginia$50,600

Other trades in Virginia

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

Questions

How much do heavy equipment operators make in Virginia?: Heavy equipment operators in Virginia earn a median of $57,160 a year, or $27.48 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,250 a year.
How much do heavy equipment operators make an hour in Virginia?: The median hourly wage is $27.48. The middle half earn between $23.10 and $30.45 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice heavy equipment operators make in Virginia?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.65 an hour ($40,870 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.10.
Has heavy equipment operator pay gone up in Virginia?: The median heavy equipment operator wage in Virginia rose 21.9%, from $46,910 in May 2021 to $57,160 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 2%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
Where in Virginia do heavy equipment operators earn the most?: Among Virginia metro areas, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria has the highest median at $61,660 a year, and Staunton–Stuarts Draft the lowest at $48,750.
Do heavy equipment operators in Virginia earn more than the national average?: The Virginia median of $57,160 is 4% less than the U.S. median of $59,850. Prices in Virginia run 1% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $56,540 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 51. 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 (101.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures